Brookie's Byron Bay Slow Gin

Nose: Unusual and interesting, featuring a strong bright fruity aroma like kumquats, persimmons, and umebushi fruit. Palate: The palate is more enticing than the nose. Sweet fruit tisane, rather like a mix of rooibos and rose hip, with a sweet melon note. It’s a touch dry but not bitter - like soft oak tannins – and nicely balanced. Finish: Short. Sweet and dry in equal measure. That’s not a spelling error in the title – this is “slow” gin, not “sloe” gin. It’s not produced with sloe berries, but using the Davidsonia plum, a rainforest fruit indigenous to the Northern Rivers region of NSW. The plums are very tart - raw they taste like an unripe blood plum dipped in citric acid. The plums are mascerated whole in a batch of the distillery’s dry gin for 6 months. Water is then added to take the liquor down to a low proof, and sugar is added to balance the natural tartness of the plums. The result is a sweet, fruity gin liqueur with a unique taste. It’s a little like a medium-sweet sherry and is very easy to drink. It’s best neat or with ice as an aperitif, or paired with cheese as a digestif (it goes very well with soft ripened cheeses). Cape Byron Distillery is located in the hinterland near Byron Bay and is run by the Brook family (hence the brand name “Brookie’s”). Eddie Brook is the master distiller, and it’s interesting to note that Jim McEwan, formerly of Bruichladdich, had a hand in the development of their products, notably their initial (and very good) Brookie’s Dry Gin (which I must review some time …) This is a quirky and pleasant gin liqueur, not outstanding but hard to dislike. “Above Average” : 84/100 (3.25 stars)