Archie Rose Distillery blending & tasting event, November 29th 2020, spirit #3 Nose: Juniper, dried citrus peel, herbal-lemon notes. There is also an unusual paper-like aroma. Palate: Soft strawberry and mint arrival, citrus moving to the front as it develops. A spicy kick arrives in the later palate. The texture is unremarkable. Finish: Short. Fruity in the aftertaste. This is one of Archie Rose’s range of “tailored gins”. It was created in partnership with the National Gallery of Australia to support their #KNOWMYNAME program of events, exhibitions, publications and commissions throughout 2020-21 that celebrate and increase the visibility of work by Australian women artists. The distillery has created several such commissioned gins. The official notes read “… It has a bright character, accented by native Australian botanicals including strawberry gum, pink peppercorn, river mint and orange peel.” That is in line with my tasting impression, but I did also note an unusual waxy-papery aroma which I think might come from Sydney waxflowers. A pleasant enough gin, but hardly one of the most interesting I’ve experienced and far from the best I’ve tasted from Archie Rose. This was pretty ordinary, to be honest, and at the high asking price I would not recommend it. “Average” : 76/100 (2.5 stars)