You know when you click that little magnifying glass up top on the Distiller page, filtered to all spirits, this little gem sits at the top of the list and has for some time ( well, when filtered by distiller score that is ). Only problem is ~ I'm not much of a Gin drinker at all. My first and last experience with Gin was when I was a wee lad. It was Gordons, at room temperature, out of a plastic solo cup. I vowed at that moment never to touch the stuff again. And here I am staring down a neat pour of Monkey 47 in a Glencairn. I am a whiskey and bourbon lover through and through but do realize the need to expand my horizons. And I'm nothing if not an equal opportunist. Upon first whiff the nose screams citrus zest. There is also a woodsy under layer that I presume is Juniper? When you take in the nose even deeper, earthier notes arise like lemongrass and ginger. The taste is of Gin seems to be inherently milder than most whiskey so I'll try my best on the palate here. There is an incredibly prominent sweetness here. Woodsy Juniper and candied grapefruit peel lead the charge. On the back of the taste, pepper rides in leaving the tongue a bit prickly of sorts. There's some woodsy, sweet pine sap there too underlying the whole taste. The finish seems to dry up but also keeps lingering spice. Tannins with peppercorn, lemongrass and juniper linger. How very surprising - this Gin has a long lasting finish similar to a good whiskey. This gin is absolutely lovely. I haven't had Gin in some 20 years, so I don't have a reference point. And I'm not sure if this is blasphemy for the Gin-devout here but I can't wait to try this in a Gin and Tonic or even on the rocks.