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Archive for the ‘Gin’ Category

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Review: Beefeater 24 (London Dry Gin)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 9, 2020

Beefeater Gins are currently produced in Kennington, a district of South East London, in the United Kingdom. Beefeater 24 (London Dry Gin)  is advertised as being handcrafted with 12 botanicals which include grapefruit, bitter almond, orris root, Seville orange peel, rare Japanese Sencha tea and Chinese green tea. This makes the new Beefeater gin more complex in construction than the previously reviewed Beefeater London Dry Gin which listed 9 ingredients.

There are other differences as well, the Beefeater 24 is bottled at a higher proof (45 % alcohol by volume) which to me seems most welcome, and all of the ingredients are apparently steeped in grain alcohol for 24 hours prior to a 7 hour distillation where the master distiller makes an artisan cut by hand from the heart of the distillation run.

Here is a link to my refreshed review of Beefeater 24:

Review: Beefeater 24 (London Dry Gin)

“… If I close my eyes above the glass I can imagine small ferns pushing out of the the slightly musty ground in the few places where the snow is gone, and drifting across those breezes is the faint smell of clumps of heather from nearby meadows …”

Please enjoy my refreshed review which includes my serving suggestion, the BLT (Beefeater, Lime and Tonic).

Chimo!

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Review: Broker’s Premium London Dry Gin

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 2, 2020

Broker’s Gin was created in 1998 by the Dawson Brother’s (Martin and Andy) from a recipe which is reported to be over 200 years old. The spirit is made from traditional copper pot stills in a distillery located near Birmingham, England. Like the recipe for the gin, this distillery is over 200 years old as well.

Broker’s is a wheat-based, quadruple-distilled, pure grain spirit. Ten natural ingredients are used to flavour this spirit and of course the primary botanical used is juniper. The botanicals are steeped in the quadruple-distilled base spirit inside the still for 24 hours prior to the spirit being processed through a final, fifth distillation to produce Broker’s Gin.

According to the Broker’s Gin Website, the botanicals used to produce Broker’s Gin and their sources are, juniper berries, coriander seed, orris root, nutmeg, cassia bark, cinnamon, liquorice, orange peel, lemon peel and angelica root.

I was recently sent a new bottle of Broker’s Gin and decide to refresh my review written in 2012 updated tasting notes and new bottle shots.

Here is a link to my refreshed review:

Review: Broker’s Premium London Dry Gin

“… The initial entry on to the palate reveals a nice layer of spiciness which opens (or maybe it is more correct to say cleanses) the palate making it very receptive to the nuances within the gin. Again I notice that classic flavour profile of light juniper accented by lemony citrus and a touch of orange …”

Please enjoy my review which concludes with my suggested serving, Lady of the Empire!

Chimo!

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Review: Martin Miller’s Gin

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 8, 2020

Martin Miller’s Gin is produced at the Langley Distillery upon some of the oldest working copper pot stills in the United Kingdom. The Langley Distillery produces a variety of gins on a contract basis for many different UK producers. (Spanish wines and spirits producer Zamora Company currently own a majority stake in Martin Miller’s Gin.)

According to the Martin Miller’s website the gin produced for them is double distilled (using neutral spirit) on these pot stills with Angelica, Cassia, Coriander, Nutmeg, bitter Orange Peel, dried Lemon Peel, dried Lime Peel, Licorice Root, Florentine Iris, and of course Juniper. (Note: According to an article published in Spirits Business (30th March, 2016), a little bit of cucumber essence is added to the botanical mixture as well.)

Apparently the citrus elements are distilled separately from the other botanicals and the two separate distillates are then blended to the proper flavour profile. Water from Iceland is used to bring the final spirit to bottling strength.

Here is a link to the full review:

Review: Martin Miller’s Gin 

“… I sense a traditional gin spirit with juniper and citrus leading the botanical parade. The citrus in fact dominates at first but after a few moments the juniper finds its legs. Licorice and hints of cinnamon are apparent as is a firm orange liqueur-like aroma similar to Orange Curacao. And then there is something else, perhaps a melding of the cucumber essence with the botanical construct giving the spirit a new twist which I haven’t encountered in gin before …”

Please enjoy the review which concludes with my suggested serving, the Gin and Tonic.

Chimo!

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Review: No 3 London Dry Gin

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 6, 2020

Berry Bros. & Rudd is London’s oldest wine and spirits merchant with over 300 years of experience and tradition to draw on. Use this expertise and a team of spirits experts they created No. 3 London Dry Gin. The recipe is based upon three fruits and three spices, and to those I shall speak to in the review. However, I shall say as a bit of foreshadowing, that sometimes artistry can be found in simplicity.

I first sampled the No. 3 Gin at a store called Lacombe Park Spirits in St. Albert, Alberta. I had come to know the proprietors, Karim and his brother Jeff, quite well over the past couple of years, and when Karim discovered that I was about to venture into a series of Gin reviews he insisted that I try one of his favourites.

I was convinced after one sip that this was a gin which I wanted to review, and after contacting the website for No. 3 London Dry Gin, Berry Brothers & Rudd, arranged for me to receive a bottle sample. This was the start of my love affair with No. 3 London Dry Gin. It’s been about nine years since that original review and I have returned to No. 3 Gin a few times already to re-taste and update my findings.

The quality is always present and it remains one of the best gins I have tasted.

Review: No 3 London Dry Gin

“… Juniper leads out strongly into the mouth and can knock the taste-buds for a loop if you grab too much at a time. Although the juniper is firm and unrelenting upon the palate, the other botanicals each leave their mark as well. A lightly sweet orange flavour tends to soften the juniper. The angelica root gives the gin an earthy quality which is no doubt strengthened by an herbal and pungent cardamom. A peppery spiciness is carried forward by the grapefruit and orange peel and this spiciness is strengthened by the cardamom and coriander spices …”

Please enjoy my review which concludes with two cocktail suggestions, Leo Engels’ 1878 Gin Cocktail. and the No. 3 Classic Martini.

Chimo!

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Review: The Botanist Islay Dry Gin

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 30, 2020

The Botanist is the creation of Bruichladdich Master Distiller, Jim McEwan who in 2010 oversaw the installation of the lastauthentic Lomond still (recovered during the demolition of Inverleven distillery in Dumbarton) at Bruichladdich and, following modifications by McEwan, he began to produce his Islay dry gin in 2011.

The Botanist is produced upon the Lomond Still in a distillation process which lasts 17 hours. During the final distillation, the core botanicals are placed into the pot of the still in a particular order after the distillate has been raised to a hand hot temperature. These core botanicals (I believe there are 9 in all) are steeped in the hot distillate for 12 hours before distillation begins. Interestingly, in addition to the core botanicals, the gin also uses 22 unique Islay botanicals which have been gathered by hand from the hills and valleys which surround the distillery. These Island botanicals are placed in loosely woven muslin sacks and then into a casket within the lyne arm of the Lomond still where the vapours of the distillation will run through them near the end of the distillation process bringing a unique Islay character to the Botanist Gin.

It is now several years my initial review for The Botanist, and it is time for a fresh look at the spirit to see if it has maintained its high quality.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: The Botanist Islay Dry Gin

“… Although the juniper is firm, as the glass rests, the breezes above the glass fill with the subtle nuances of the other botanicals. Ginger-like spices tickle the nose along with hints of spicy cinnamon and cardamom. A light impression of mojito mint weaves its way into the breezes …”

Please enjoy my review of this outstanding dry gin.

Chimo!

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