Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin

Overdone. There is nothing subtle about this gin. Overwhelmingly coriander.

Back on the gin bandwagon and got hold of a 50ml of this to sample. Trying straight it tasted like citrus floral soap. Nice lightly viscous mouth feel. Initially I was thinking this isn't really a style that rocks my boat but not to shabby but then after a bit thought maybe a bit to soapy floral like for me. I prefer strong juniper citrus notes and this is not that. Still very nuanced and well balanced and put together so if you do prefer light citrus floral profile then this is a good example. Mixing with an Alchemy & Tonic Grapefruit and Thyme tonic water (NZs newest tonic offering) it mixes well but very faint influence despite ~ 1:4 ratio. I'm definitely enjoying this but there is a longish list I'd prefer over this one.

This is a great gin in a G&T.

Tasting from a 50ml sample. Alright, so they got me with the buzzword "gunpowder." Honestly, I'd do anything to smell gunpowder again anyway, so maybe that's why we're here. However, this has a good amount of botanicals, good quality citrus fruits, and the aforementioned special tea, which even if it's just buzz, tea is always a good botanical choice. Low juniper scent, and great citrus. It seems to be a blend between bitter oil and fresh juice of the citrus, which is great, so long as it's balanced. The proof is, at first, just a background thought, but after the citrus and additional floral notes fade, the proof becomes harsh and causes an almost instant recoil. The initial taste is slightly spicy, with a body that is both oily and still light. The first notes are floral, and the tea, but nothing special. The bitter citrus now comes through, and builds somewhat slowly to a spicy, peppery finish. This is the first time that the juniper actually makes itself obvious. Okay, so this is definitely doused in bait, with the "gunpowder," fancy bottle, and glass color. Having said that, this is still a moderately good gin, with more focus on the floral side without sacrificing the body, citrus, or juniper notes. This is also one of few gins with a good tea note, but since myself and likely very few others know what gunpowder tea is without the internet, it's more of a guessing game to seeing how true to form it is.