Esmé Gin

I thought it would be interesting to compare two French gins with the same ABV, similar price point, and similar botanical make up – that screams side-by-side opportunity to me. I feel a little hoodwinked though because I thought they were both distilled gins; the Esmé is a distilled gin while apparently the G.W. Goodwynn is a London Dry Gin. So slightly less comparable, but it could still be informative to see which comes out on top. Here’s a quick rundown of what I could find out about Esmé: Style: Distilled Gin Country of Origin: France Disclosed Botanicals: juniper, citrus, spice (ok, so they’re not really disclosed); infusions of rose and cucumber ABV: 40% (100% neutral grain spirit from French winter wheat) Price: $22.99 Nose: Very light. So light I grabbed my bottle of Empress 1908 to check my sensitivity. If Empress 1908 is at volume 10, this is like 3. Juniper is predominant but very muted; there’s floral and citrus but it is buried in there. Palate: Oh, there it is! Light bodied and creamy mouthfeel. A quick succession of juniper, lemon peel, cucumber water, and rose petals. Crisp, fruity and floral, faint earth. Not getting much in the way of spice. Finish: Medium length with a bit of spice and a very prominent rose aftertaste that transitions to long lasting juniper. Verdict: I liked this at first, probably because I was surprised there was any flavor in the dram after the disappointing nose. Then, as I kept sipping, the lemon became more soapy. There may be no lemon peels in the mix whatsoever, but I am getting a lot of lemon dish soap now. Additionally, I think this is way too delicate to stand up to mixing. And I could be wrong, but I don’t know how well that lemon dish soap would play in cocktails. Probably best to try this neat if you’re looking for a lemon-forward sipping gin but I'd say look elsewhere for a mixer (unless you have ideas for this - if so, let me know below!). 3.25 ~ Average

I’m not sure if this is more floral than the average gin or if I just forgot how floral the average gin is.

Floral nose, soft and round in the mouth with floral rose petals and light juniper and citrus. Astringent mint and alcohol on the finish. Muddy flavors by itself, and not a martini gin.

Nice floral aroma helps it escape being yet another cookie-cutter London Dry.

Floral, Herbal