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Posts Tagged ‘Gin’

#Ginuary Review: Burwood Gin

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 6, 2020

The Burwood Distillery is a small craft distillery founded by Jordan Ramey, Marco Cilic, and Ivan Cilic located in Calgary Alberta (4127 6th Street N.E). The Distillery includes a restaurant and Cocktail Lounge which offers a casual environment to enjoy the not only the distilleries fine spirits but also locally sourced farm-to-table menu items.

The distillery was hand-built and styled after a mixture of old-world Eastern European & Scottish farm-styled distilleries combined with new world craft beer methodologies. To help bring this unique facility to life, Marko spent tireless hours building the distillery, literally from the dirt floor up.

To produce their gin, the team performed over 80 gin deconstructions to help them select their botanical recipe. Although I am not necessarily privy to the entire recipe, the website hints that Juniper and Coriander were given starring roles within the spirit elevated by Citrus and Lemon Grass. Szechuan Pepper adds a touch of spice which is tempered by the addition of Dragon Well Green Tea.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Burwood Gin

“… In the breezes, juniper takes the lead with a touch of spiciness and some bright citrus following. That spiciness is likely a product of both the Coriander and the Szechuan Pepper botanicals. There is a mild scent of lemon in the air as well as a light earthiness which seems to meld the scents together …”

Please enjoy my #Ginuary review!

Chimo!

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Review: Jawbox Single Estate Classic Dry Gin

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 14, 2019

Gin and Ginger

Jawbox Classic Dry Gin is a single estate spirit made in the heartland of the Ards Peninsula near Belfast Ireland. The folks who make the spirit grow and harvest their own grain on the 300 acre Echlinville Estate. They create their own alcohol and distill their dry gin three times on a in copper pot stills. They use eleven botanicals, Juniper, Coriander, Cassia Quills, Angelica Root, Black Mountain Heather, Lemon Peel, Cardamom, Licorice Root, Grains of Paradise, Orris Root and Cubebs, 3 of which are vapour infused rather than steeped.The spirit is apparently named in honour of one of Belfast’s most enduring legacies, the Belfast kitchen sink, a.k.a. the Jawbox.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Jawbox Single Estate Classic Dry Gin

“… The breezes above the glass bring firm indications of juniper accented by an earthy black licorice note and spicy notes of coriander and cardamom. My first impression is that the use of the word ‘classic’ in the name of the gin is justified …”

Please enjoy my review which concludes with two cocktails, the Gin and Tonic #3 and the Jawbox swerve on Gin and Ginger-ale.

Chimo!

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Review: Fils du Roy – Gin Thuya (New Brunswick)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on May 7, 2019

According to the Fils du Roy website, it was family reunion in Caraquet in 2011 that sparked the idea of building a family owned distillery. The very next year, Distillerie Fils du Roy was born, and Sebastien Roy and his mother Diane began the development of two first products: Gin Thuya and Absinthe La Courailleuse.

A few Years later a second Distillerie Fils du Roy opened in Quebec led by Jonathan, Sebastian’s brother. Both distilleries produce Gin Thuya, and I have been told by Sebastien that the two spirits have turned out quite different as the still in Quebec, produces a different range of flavours than the still in New Brunswick.

The Gin Thuya which is the subject of this review is produced in New Brunswick by Sebastien Roy at Distillerie Fils Du Roy. The spirit is produced from a base of corn alcohol which is redistilled in the presence of Thuja occidentalis (also known as northern white-cedar or eastern arborvitae) and various other botanicals  in a small copper still.

Here is a link to my complete review:

Review: Fils du Roy – Gin Thuya (New Brunswick)

“… The initial aroma is very traditional with firm scents of piny juniper alonside fragrant notes of evergreen boughs. I reminds me very strongly of the scents and smells I encounter when I hike through the alpine forests at the foot of the Rocky Mountains …”

Please enjoy my review which includes the cocktail suggestion, the Sophisticated Lady.

Chimo!

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Review: Gin Twenty-One (Last Straw Distillery)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on May 1, 2019

The Last Straw Distillery is Ontario’s smallest production micro-distillery located at 40 Pippin Rd. in Vaughan, Ontario (a wee bit north of Toronto) just off Highway 400 and around the corner from Vaughan Mills Shopping Centre. Several months ago I contacted Mike Hook (one of the Distillery owners) to inquire about their new juniper spirit Gin Twenty-One. Mike asked me if I would be interested in receiving a bottle, and when I answered in the positive it was not too long before I was sent a bottle from the most current batch (Batch No. 3). Incidentally a bottle from Batch No. 2 was sent to the 2018 Canadian Artisianal Spirits Competition where it won a gold medal.

According to the Last Straw Distillery website (and the label on the bottle) Gin Twenty-One is the world’s first crowd-sourced gin. The guys at the distillery wanted to create a gin with just the right balance of citrus, juniper and aromatics; so they went public to find the best combination. This was an exercise in patience with many variations of the chosen botanicals created for the experiment. It was the twenty-first recipe which was selected as the crowd favourite, which is of course how Gin Twenty-One received its name.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Gin Twenty-One

“… The aroma from the glass is nice with juniper and licorice/fennel leading out in front of light citrus spice (impressions lemon, grapefruit and orange peel). This is a very traditional gin profile no doubt reflecting the preferences of the gin enthusiasts who helped select the recipe …”

Please enjoy my latest gin review which includes a few recipe suggestions including the Gin Gimlet Vesper.

Chimo!

 

Posted in Gin, Gin Review | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

Review: Dixon’s Wicked Gin (Licorice Botanical Blend)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 22, 2019

Dixon’s Distilled Spirits is located in Guelph Ontario. This small distillery produces two brands of Vodka (Silvercreek and Flaming Caesar), two styles of Wicked Gin (a Licorice Botanical Blend and a Citrus Botanical Blend), as well as a ready to drink mix called Gin Fusion.

According to the back label of the bottle, Dixon’s Wicked Gin (Licorice Botanical Blend) is non-traditional containing notes of juniper, coriander, licorice root, paradise seed, with hints of cinnamon and elderberry. The back label adds that the natural black licorice flavour should pair quite well with lemonade, tonic, and root beer.​

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Dixon’s Wicked Gin (Licorice Botanical Blend)

“… I like that the Wicked Gin is as advertised, a licorice forward spirit. I also like that the juniper has not been drowned out such that the spirit retains its identity as a juniper based spirit …”

I hope you enjoy my review as well as the cocktail which follows.

Chimo!

Posted in Gin, Gin Review | Tagged: , , , , | 2 Comments »