Nose: Led by an array of lemon fragrances (lemon zest, lemongrass, lemon verbena) and also some tangello. It's a clear and fresh citrus introduction followed by floral notes of lavender and honeysuckle with some fresh pine. Juniper takes a back seat for once.
Palate: Smooth and full arrival with a distinctly floral palate. Lavender, rose and honeysuckle are all present along with other floral flavours I can't identify. I believe they include fuscia and heather among the botanicals so it's probably those elements I'm tasting for the first time. There are also some sweet berry notes like mild cranberry. The texture is creamy, rich and warming.
Finish: Medium. The floral notes dominate and the aftertaste features a very aromatic tone almost like jasmine (again, this is probably coming from a botanical that I've not tasted previously).
A very interesting gin and I can see why it has won so many awards. The field of modern gin contains many very good expressions but a lot of them are little more than variations on tried and tested themes.
That's not to meant to denigrate the skill of artisanal producers or criticize fledgling whisky distillers for bringing out gin to create cash flow while their first stocks mature. It's just that this gin has a genuinely original palate. A nose with a floral focus is not unusual, but to find such intensity of floral botanicals on the palate is unexpected and the success of this gin is that it does this with a masterful touch. However there is also a lower emphasis on juniper and citrus on the nose which leads it to seem a little shy at first. That's the one criticism I have and I'm knocking off a quarter-point from the rating. Otherwise this would be a 5-star gin.
This gin is very good tasted neat with or without ice, and it's also very good with tonic, making one of the most enjoyably flavourful G&Ts I've tasted. The nose retains its character even through tonic and on the rocks, and the palate is similarly robust.
I was gifted a sample and the person who gave it to me recommended Fever Tree Elderflower tonic as a mixer. That might seem like gilding the lily with such a flavourful floral profile to begin with, but it works well and I can recommend it.
This gin rockets to the top shelf of my gin cabinet and it is the equal of the very good Method & Madness Gin I tasted yesterday.
"Excellent (very nearly Outstanding)" : 89/100 (4.75 stars)
90.0
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@cascode - Glad to hear you and yours are safe! On a spirits-related note, I’m adding this gin to the wishlist in the hopes of trying it someday thanks to your review. Looks like both this and the M&M gins may be tricky to track down.
@cascode Yeah it's crazy eh. I knew you were ok based on your location but good to hear your mum is now safe as well. God knows what the sky is like it Sydney. When I lived there in 2000/2001 xmas day there was black smoke all across the sky and that was minor compared to now. We've had days in NZ where the smoke from Aus has obscured the sky and turned the sun blood orange and we are 2k kms away!
@PBMichiganWolverine Thanks for the concern, mate - Mrs Cascode & I are fine, although thoroughly smoked like all of Sydney. My elderly mother was evacuated from her home in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney a week ago but is back home again now. Australia is prone to large bushfires but this current situation is beyond anything we've seen before, by an order of magnitude.
@cascode in a totally unrelated note—-I hope you and your family are safe from those absolutely scary and disheartening wildfires there.
@cascode - opened a bottle of their whiskey (batch 4) New Year’s Eve. Outstanding! review to follow.
@cascode That would be great thanks :-)
@Soba45 I ran out yesterday and bought a bottle of the Method & Madness and am enjoying it greatly - I'll send you a taste if you like. If I can find it locally I'll grab this one as well.
Ah interesting. It seems like every whiskey maker is doing gin these days. Usually it was gin then whiskey but now we are seeing the other way around as well. I just scored 24 plus 12 gin advent calendars at a great price in the post xmas sales so will be trying a lot of gin this year!