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Posts Tagged ‘Gin Review’

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Review: Sheringham Raincoast Gin

Posted by Arctic Wolf on July 20, 2023

Sheringham Distillery is located in Sooke B.C., a locale which overlooks the Strait of Juan de Fuca on Southern Vancouver Island. The name ‘Sheringham” is an homage to the name original name given to the area in 1846. When the first postal service arrived and the first Post Office was built, the name Sheringham was shortened to ‘Shirley’ so that it would fit properly on the postage stamp. (The Distillery was originally located at Shirley B.C which is about 20 minutes north of Sooke.)

The distillery produces a number of gins, two of which I have already reviewed,  Sheringham Seaside Gin which is a traditional juniper forward gin with a unique Island twist. They also produce the Beacon Gin (formerly Kazuki Gin) which brings an oriental flair to the Sheringham style.

Sheringham Raincoast Gin is one of their newer offerings said to be inspired by the fresh rainfall that feeds the lush temperate rainforest and is expressed through coastal botanicals, traditional juniper, and citrus. It is meant to be an approachable gin which presents presents impressions of the west coast through notes of nettle and oakmoss.

Here is a link to my recently published review:

Review: Sheringham Raincoast Gin

“… Juniper and citrus jump out of the glass giving me an impression of a classic juniper forward gin with a lively brightness that is very appealing. Rich mossy notes follow giving the gin a nice earthy undertone. Hints of chlorophyll are implied whether from the impression of green oakmoss or as a side effect of the nettles is hard to say …”

Please enjoy my review and stay tuned for more gin reviews as the summer continues.

Chimo!

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Review: The London No. 1 Original Blue Gin

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 23, 2020

London No. 1 Original Blue Gin is a product of Gonzalas Byass who are a Spanish wine/cellars company which also produces a variety of distilled spirits including brandy, anisette, botanical vodka and of course gin. Their gin is triple distilled (from English grain in London, England) on a traditional pot still in small batches.

According to the London No. 1 website the gin is distilled with 12 key botanicals which include: Juniper, Angelica root , Savory, Coriander, Cassia bark, Licorice, Cinnamon, Almond, Lemon peel, Orange peel, Lily root and Bergamot.

The product was first test marketed in Spain, and was then launched in limited quantities internationally in 2012. It is bottled at 47 % alcohol by volume ensuring a more concentrated flavour than more traditional spirits which are bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume.

Here is a link to my fresh new look at London No. 1 Original Blue Gin:

Review: The London No. 1 Original Blue Gin

“… This is perplexing. I sampled London No. 1 Blue Gin about eight years ago, and according to my review I quite liked it. This time around, the only portion of the review which scores as well (actually a little better) is the bottle. It is the perfume-like quality of the gin which I do not find nearly so attractive this time around …”

Please enjoy my review which concludes with my serving suggestion, the Blue Pegu.

Chimo!

 

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Review: Gin Royal (Compass Distillers) 

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 28, 2020

Compass Distillers is located in Halifax Nova Scotia, where Graham, Josh, and David began their distilling journey with a belief that they could create world-class spirits locally. Their artisan Craft Spirits are not imported, they are not blended with generic ingredients, nor are they pumped out of a factory; rather, they are made from scratch, with locally sourced ingredients.

Compass Distillers Gin Royal gives recognition to the to the bees who are required to pollinate more than half of the botanicals used in gin. They make the point that without bees, there in fact would be no gin. Their royal blue spirit is distilled from Nova Scotian wheat with both classic and contemporary gin botanicals. The spirit derives its deep blue colour from an infusion of butterfly pea blossom. Before the gin is finished, it is given a light sweetness with local honey and royal jelly. Botanicals used to produce Gin Wild include juniper, orange, lemon, coriander, pepper, angelica root, orris root, cassia, local honey, royal jelly and butterfly pea blossom.

In order to protect the bees that make their gin possible, Compass Distillers promises that one dollar from every bottle sold will be donated to the Nova Scotia Beekeepers Association to assist in their efforts to promote bee health and sustainable beekeeping.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Gin Royal (Compass Distillers) 

“… I notice a piny juniper aroma chased by somewhat peppery spices as well as coriander and citrus zest. There are hints of orange liqueur, lemon and honey in the air as well as very lightly perfumed florals (blue iris and violets). I am happy that the perfumed quality is kept in check, so as not to overpower the other botanicals …”

Please enjoy my review which includes two suggested servings, Gin and Elderflower Tonic and The Royal Lady.

Chimo!

 

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Review: Tempo Renovo Gin

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 13, 2017

march-lion-sam_2955

The March Lion Cocktail

Tempo Renovo Gin is produced by Goodridge & Williams, an independent craft distilling company located in Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada). The gin is produced from British Columbia wheat, distilled in a copper pot-still, and according to the company website is a modern expression of contemporary dry gin.

What I do not know are the botanicals used, but I think it might be fun to see what I can tease out of the glass, and perhaps the producer will let me know if I was on the right track. Tempo Renovo Gin was apparently designed to be mixed in cocktails or to be enjoyed straight on the rocks.

Here is a link to my review of this new Vancouver Dry Gin:

Review: Tempo Renovo Gin

” … The juniper is very restrained, to the point that I would suggest the licorice root dominates slightly (but only slightly). A hit of spice arrives late and the spiciness seems to be a combination of grain spice, coriander and cardamom. There is a bit of lemon at the back-end of the palate which I wish was shining just a little more brightly …”

Please enjoy the review which includes my cocktail suggestion, The March Lion.

Chimo!

 

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Review: Botanica Spiritvs Gin

Posted by Arctic Wolf on November 10, 2016

castle-sam_2877Botanica Spiritvs Gin is part of the new wave of modern ‘American Style’ gins where the flavor of Juniper is pulled back to allow the other botanicals to have more expression in the spirit. Botanica is produced in small batches (less than 300 bottles per) at Falcon Spirits Distillery in Richmond California. The base spirit for the gin is a Non-GMO (Non-Genetically Modified Organism) grain spirit which has been 6 times distilled and carbon filtered to remove impurities.

Over 12 different botanicals are used in the production of the gin. Because some of the fruits used are not available year round, they are distilled previously (within a day from the time they are picked up from farm). Other botanicals are vapour infused during a final distillation, and after the heads and tails have been discarded, this final distillation is blended with the fruit distillates.

Here is a link to my review:

Review: Botanica Spiritvs Gin

“… The initial aroma from the glass is somewhat effervescent with floral and fine citrus notes (fruity lemon and lime scents) leading out. As I nose the glass piny juniper, earthy angelica and herbal licorice root and mint build taking the spirit back down a more tradition gin pathway. I find the scents and smells play nicely together, and I like that the menagerie of scents do not overwhelm the juniper …”

Please enjoy my review which includes two serving suggestions, Botanica Lime and Tonic, and the Castle Cocktail.

Chimo!

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