Cocktails with… C.O.L.D. (City of London Distillery) Gin with a Bonus Irish Gin review

Continuing our series on UK Craft Gins, today’s focus is on a new distillery in the City of London. For those not familiar with the make-up of Europe largest metropolitan area, London is not just one city, but the combination of two cities and boroughs. One of the cities is the City of Westminster, where Parliament sits; the other is the City of London, also known as the square-mile, which is the financial heart of the Capital and includes St. Paul’s Cathedral. Just a stone’s throw from this architectural masterpiece by Sir Christopher Wren lies C.O.L.D. (City of London Distillery).

C.O.L.D. Gin is made by Master Distiller Jamie Baxter (who used to work at Chase), who also consults independently for aspiring distillers. The gin is bottled at 40% ABV and contains the following seven botanicals:

Juniper
Coriander Seed
Angelica Root
Liquorice Root
Lemon
Orange
Pink Grapefruit

#1 On its own
Nose: Plenty of creamy citrus, a bit like lemon curd, as well as juniper and coriander.
Taste: Smooth and well-rounded, with juniper, coriander, citrus and a hint of raisin at the end. Very well-balanced, with plenty of citrus with a slightly sweet “lift” on the finish.

#2 Gin & Tonic
Bold flavours with lots of dry juniper, lemon and a hint of vanilla and citrus from the pink grapefruit. Quite citrusy, zesty, bold and refreshing.

#3 Martini
Very classic: quite crisp, with lots of citrus and dry juniper. As you drink more, the lemon comes through more strongly, so there’s no need for a twist, but an olive may work well.

#4 Negroni
Quite sweet, actually, with a snug smoothness. It seems quite soft, although there’s still a substantial shard of bitterness, thanks to the Campari at the end. A soft start, with a wild finish.

In Conclusion
This is a rather classic gin that is obviously well made and work particularly well in long drinks like the Gin Collins (my favourite) and the gin and tonic. There are plans to release a “Square Mile Gin” bottled at a higher ABV and I look forward to trying that.

But wait, there’s more!

On a recent trip to Sheeban, The Poitin Bar in Kentish Town, with Dave Mulligan, Louis Lebaillif and Michael Vachon of Master of Malt, I got the chance to try an Irish Craft Gin, probably the first I have tried: Dingle Gin.

Dingle Gin is made at the Dingle Whiskey Distillery in County Kerry, Ireland. It is made with a variety of botanicals, including: Juniper, Angelica, Coriander, Rowan, Fuschia, Bog Myrtle, Heather and Hawthorn.

#1) On its own:
Nose: Juniper, coriander and lime.
Taste: Quite smooth, with lots of coriander, followed by a dry, slightly spicy finish. This gin has both some sweetness and some culinary appeal to it, and should make some interesting cocktails.

#2) Gin & Tonic
Very clean, with lots of coriander and citrus, making this a fresh and crisp drink. Another dimension is then added to the drink with notes of lavender, spice and a long, dry finish.

Cocktails with… Butler’s Gin

With what is perhaps the beginning of a renaissance in artisanal gin distilling in the UK, it is exciting to speak to someone who is not only doing their own distilling, but also coming to the industry from a wholly different angle.

Such was the case when I first spoke to Ross Butler of Butler’s Gin. Ross started out by wanting to create a product that reflected his character and, as a part of this, he wanted to start off debt-free, purchasing raw materials only when an order came in. When I spoke to him, Ross spoke of the trade-off between time and money and how he had decided to invest time in his product rather than borrowing money. It seems to have paid dividends, as Butler’s Gin is now due to launch in the USA and the EU next month. Given that he only sold his first bottle of gin on 22nd February 2013, this is remarkable.

Butler’s Gin is made in Hackney and takes a London Dry Gin, which is made to Ross’  specification and recipe, which he then infuses with various botanicals kept in muslin bags, a bit like over-sized tea bags. The infused botanicals include lemongrass and cardamom.

On its own

Nose: A dry, berry juniper with liquorice root, allspice, ginger/cardamom and lemongrass.

Taste: A measured, classic start of juniper and coriander, followed by some sweeter, spiced notes such as ginger, cassia and cardamon. This is all rounded off with a long finish of lemongrass.

Gin & Tonic

A clean gin and tonic with juniper, plenty of spice from the cardamom and citrus from the lemongrass. My tonic recommendation would be Fevertree and maybe Schweppes; however I would steer clear of eFentimand or Waitrose own-brand as they are too citrusy.

Martini

All of the crisp juniper and citrus that you would expect from a Martini, but with the added character of cardamom, spice and then the dry grape character of the vermouth. Full of flavour and pretty classic, if you are talking about the Martinis of the ‘30s and ‘40s rather than the ultra dry drinks of the ‘50s and ‘60s, but that’s just how I like it.

Negroni

The bold flavours of this gin work well in a Negroni; it’s exceptionally flavourful, with some dark chocolate spice coming through, along with a finish of cardamom and citrus.

Cocktails with… Hven Organic Gin

Hven Organic Gin comes from the Island of Ven or ‘Hven’, situated in the Öresund
Strait between Denmark and Sweden. This is a small island, around three square miles in area, and has a population of only a few hundred.

Hven Gin is made with a wheat spirit base and a whole array of botanicals, including: Swedish Juniper, Mauritian Bourbon Vanilla, Cassia, Grains of Paradise, Citrus, Sichuan pepper, Aniseed, Guinea Pepper, Calamus Root and Cardamom. Before the distillation, the botanicals are macerated in spirit in oak barrels for 24 hours. After a distillation with these botanicals, the distillate is then rested in casks, before being re-distilled and bottled at 40% ABV.

On its own
Nose: Crisp green apple and pink grapefruit with a hint of vanilla.
Taste: What is immediately noticeable with Hven is the texture of the gin: it is almost water-like in its smoothness. Initially, there are notes of citrus, especially grapefruit, followed by some coriander and then a little spice and vanilla sweetness. There’s a burst of dry pine towards the end and a long, lasting finish with a little citrus tang.

Gin & Tonic
Lots of citrus and cilantro; incredibly crisp and fresh. This is a Gin & Tonic that sets itself apart, with the crisp citrus notes being more leafy than juicy. It makes for a refreshing drink with some bitterness, which will appeal to those who shun sickly sweet cocktails.

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Martini
A rather fragrant and leafy Martini with citrus and a touch of nuttiness. The perfumed aspect of the coriander and a slight hay-like aspect also come through. This is a very complex Martini with many layers of flavours that open up as you drink.

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Negroni
A rich, thick and flavourful Negroni, with a strong, jammy hint of raisin coming through, Along with cassia and cinnamon, this gives the drink a fruity, confectionary element, which is followed by an enduring bitter streak at the end. As I drink, I am reminded of Christmas pudding. This is different, but quite exciting and well worth a try.
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Gin Collins
The floral citrus notes of this gin work well with the tart lemon, as well as adding a little dryness. The gin sits quietly in the background for this drink, but is still discernable. If you want a bit more of the spirit, then I’d suggest adding an extra half measure of gin.

Sweet Martini
This has a perfumed flavour, with a combination of floral herbs and spice. This would make an excellent aperitif and would probably be quite well-suited to preceding a fish dish. (After a test, this does appear to be the case.)

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Over Ice with Lemon
This is a recommended serve on the Hven website.
Works very well at this temperature, where the texture becomes a tad more viscous. The fresh, zesty lemon complements the floral citrus notes of the spirit.

In Conclusion
Tasting Hven makes it clear that there is more to this spirit than a striking bottle. My favourite drink was the Negroni.

Hven Gin is bottled at 40%ABV and is available for around £30 for 50cl from Master of Malt.

Announcing The Craft Distillers’ Alliance Gin Awards

The Craft Distillers’ Alliance is proud to announce the UK’s first ever Craft Gin awards, in collaboration with David T. Smith of the website www.summerfruitcup.com. David has spent a fair amount of time working with Craft Gin in the USA alongside the American Distilling Institute and will shortly be releasing a book on the subject, The Craft of Gin written with America’s Gin Reviewer Aaron J. Knoll.

The UK currently boasts over 20 craft distilleries that produce gin, with another 6 scheduled to be operational by the end of 2013. The Craft Distilling Alliance Gin Competition is a chance to celebrate this new wave of independent distillers and to promote the production of Craft Gin. As such, there is no fee for producers to enter this inaugural event.

A judging panel of industry professionals with a penchant for gin is being assembled and the competition will take place in central London on Monday 24th June.

The competition is currently only open to Craft Gins produced in the UK. For more information, please contact David T. Smith at david@summerfruitcup.com.

Cocktails with.. Dà Mhìle

Craft Gin is booming; since my return from Colorado, I have discovered three new craft distilleries! Today’s is one such distiller. Dà Mhìle (pronounced da-vee-lay) is based in Ceredigion in West Wales. Fans of Scotch whisky may recognise the name as that of an organic blended Scotch whisky, which the company has been selling for some time, but, now, they have their own distillery in which to make their products: both a whisky and an organic gin, which is what I’m looking at today.

Dà Mhìle Farmhouse Botanical Gin is bottled at 42% ABV and uses 100% organic ingredients. It is made using a mix of 20 botanicals, from familiar favourites juniper and coriander to five botanicals grown on their farm: elderflower, red and white clover, gorse and chamomile.

The Taste

On its own

Nose: Green juniper, followed by a burst of herbal spice notes, including cardamom and sage. Then some coriander and, finally, fennel.

Taste: Plenty of coriander up front, along with some other citrus. This then moves onto some sweet spices, such as fennel and star anise, and finishes up with the dry juniper. After the citrus-heavy start, this is a herbal and piney gin with forest-like qualities.

Gin & Tonic

Very spicy and leafy, with some menthol elements, too. Nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom stand out, as well as a hint of cedar. Some fruitiness accompanies the spice, making this exceptionally easy to drink. Very good, indeed.

Martini

Notes of coriander and ginger make this cocktail warming, intense and spicy, with a long finish. This really highlights the potential of the gin in savoury cocktails; something different and rather delicious. The finish lingers for a good while, which leaves you wanting another as soon as your glass is empty.

Negroni

Simply lovely; lots of spice: ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom, with a gingerbread sweetness, followed by a good bitterness. Complex and tasty.

Gin Collins

This drink really brings out some different notes of the gin with the citrus/coriander dialled back a bit and the all-spice/pimento notes coming to the fore. some of these herbal notes remind me of The Botanist; which shares quite a few botanicals with Dà Mhìle. It is important for a Collins to be refreshing and this certainly is.

Sweet Martini

The citrus and herbal notes of the gin work well with the red vermouth making this a flavoursome drink which is very raising to the appetite.

In Conclusion

I’m quite fond of Dà Mhìle and it’s bold flavours and that is aside from the fact that the whole gin is distilled in Wales and it is Organic (to the EU standard,which is more stringent than the USA standard). Before Dà Mhìle the only UK 100% organic gin was Juniper Green Gin which is nice enough but, unlike Dà Mhìle, lacks a certain wow factor.

Martini and Gin Collins were my cocktail highlights.

Cocktails with… Courvoisier VSOP

Back in August of last year, I experienced my first Cognac tasting. Today, I want to take a look at Courvoisier VSOP. This is the next step up from their VS, which I tried last time, and is a blend of Cognacs between four and ten years old. In addition, the term “Fine Champagne” on the bottle indicates that at least half of the crus used to make it are from the Grande Champagne region specifically.

The label is decked out in a rather fine, decadent blue, and may be familiar to some as the bottle proudly presented on the desk of Ralph Fiennes’ character, Mallory, in the latest James Bond film, Skyfall. He and M discuss weighty matters over a glass; and, given how much I enjoyed M’s whisky choices from that film, I’m looking forward to trying this.

On its own
Nose: Vibrant, sharp grape to start, like a very good, dry sherry, but, after a while, this softens. Additional notes of caramelised apple, like a sticky, freshly-made toffee apple, then come into play.
Taste: Smooth, but full of flavour, with dry grape at the start quickly opening up with lots of lighter floral notes, reminding me of summer days in the garden; hints of rose, with a slight leafiness and the subtle sweetness of apricot jam. A light finish of white wine, dried apricots and vanilla. A light, pleasant warmth on the finish.

Sidecar
Rich and complex start, with lots of apricot and white grape, but mixed in with a richness that you’d get from red grape,  raspberries and blackberries. A more complex, warming finish, with vanilla, oak and a fresh note of sherbety lemon that lifts the drink.

Sazerac
Lovely, inescapable sweet anise notes on the nose. Pleasantly not too sweet to taste, though, with a far more subtle note of soft liquorice to start, followed by a measured, but surprisingly flavourful interplay between the notes of the anise and rich, sweet fruit. Quite short overall, but an intense drink; perfect for mid-evening.

In Conclusion
Without a doubt, Courvoisier VSOP is currently my favourite Cognac. I love the combination of the subtlety of the start and the rich, but measured fruit notes afterwards (especially the apricot on the finish – lovely!). I  was also impressed at how it worked in cocktails, in particular the Sazerac. I think my favourite way to drink it is on it’s own, though; this may just be the Cognac that persuades me to drink it on a regular basis!
- Mrs. B.

Cocktails with.. Greyling Gin

I like gin from Michigan; mostly because I’ve never had a bad one and so, now, whenever I see a mention of the Great Lakes state on a bottle, as  with Two Bird Artisan Spirit’s Greyling Gin, my expectations are raised.

That said, I soon discovered that this particular gin is currently being made by experienced distillers Yahara Bay in Madison, Wisconsin. They also make Yahara Bay Gin and used to make Death’s Door. I’m sure that, if all goes well, like with Death’s Door, Greyling may fly the roost and set up shop on their own.

For clarity’s sake, I think that it’s great that there is such a range of variety options for people who want to make good quality gin. The tens of thousands of dollars (or pounds) of investment, not to mention the time, needed makes making spirits from scratch out of the reach of many individuals. As always, the most important point is that you design/produce a product that tastes great.

Greyling Modern Dry Gin c/o TheGinIsIn.com

The Taste

On its own
Nose: Classic and straightforward: bright, green, sappy juniper to start, which then softens to a less sharp citrus – lemon and grapefruit mainly, with a hint of lemon pith in particular.
Taste: Pretty classic, rather vibrant, some spicy coriander notes upfront as well as anise or maybe fennel. A citrus (grapefruit, orange) and coriander middle and the a dry juniper finish. Some sweetness throughout almost reminiscent of a fine orange liqueur. Most sippable.

Gin & Tonic
Greyling makes a crisp, citrusy and flavourful Gin & Tonic. There’s also a little vanilla, combined with notes of lemon curd, as well as some dry pine. Overall, this is a very accessible and tasty drink and exceptionally refreshing.

Martini
Great – another clean and crisp drink, with clean, pine-y juniper followed by some lovely rounded-out notes of sweet rose, somewhat reminiscent of Turkish Delight. Classic, but with a twist – very good, indeed. This cocktail also has a lovely texture and is something that I would happily drink again.

Negroni
A fine Negroni if ever there was one; a great bitter-sweet balance and quite a thick texture, as well as juniper and citrus notes. Nothing outrageous or out-of-the-box; just a good, solid drink.

 

Greyling Gin is available for around $28  for 750ml from InternetWines.com