Cocktails with…. BRUTE Ultra-Dry Gin

Gin is an interesting thing; a spirit category that is in a constant state of flux with a wide range of flavour profiles covered by the plethora of products available. Recently, the category has been arguably energised by the growing trend for fruitier, sweeter gins, but at the same time gin is generally defined by one thing: the juniper berry.

The Return of the Juniper?

A number of distillers are rediscovering the juniper berry and making it the focus of their new products – such is the case with today’s gin: Brute, Ultra Dry Gin.

Bottled at 48.0% ABV, the gin is packed full of juniper and is described as “Extremely Juniper-y” on its label. To produce this juniper-focused flavour profile, it is made using a combination of pot- and cold-distilled juniper.

The Taste

On its own

Nose: Pow! Full, fresh, and unabashed juniper. Green, piney resinous. This. Is. Gin.

Taste: For the high ABV, this gin has a pleasant texture that is clean and smooth with a gradually-building, peppery juniper flavour. There’s a rich oiliness to the spirit and, despite the intensity, there is a nuanced complexity; in addition to a spectrum of juniper and pine notes there are hints of smoky cedar, a little vanilla spice, and even a spot of zesty grapefruit.

Overall, this is a great, juniper-forward gin with a rather garden-like flavour full of floral and spiced complexities. Plenty to explore.

Gin & Tonic

Wowzers! This is a powerful drink. The dry juniper and slightly bitter pine flavours works well with the quinine in the tonic. Garnish-wise, I think that something a little sweeter, such as lemon or orange, would complement it well. That said, you could double-down and go for grapefruit peel, too.

Gin & Soda

This is an exceptionally light and refreshing serve: very crisp, clean, and revitalising. It works particularly well with a lime garnish and is a really nice way to enjoy the gin.

Martini

I enjoyed this in a 5:1 stirred Martini and it was superb. Rich and oily with a nuanced complexity that is a true celebration of juniper. An obvious choice for a three-olive garnish which pairs really well with the drinks texture.

Negroni

The clean, green resinous of the gin works superbly with the other ingredients, whilst the gin’s character presents itself with a flint-like crispness. This has a great intensity of flavour and the bitter finish lingers on and on and on, accompanied by a hint of pine jelly. One for hard-core Negroni fans.

Improved Snowgroni

Based on a recipe from Waitrose Drinks magazine that has been re-balanced to incorporate Campari.

[1 part Brute Gin, 1 part Red Vermouth, 1 part Campari, 2 parts Advocat]

Combine ingredients and stir to create the Snowgroni Mix.

Taking an iced glass, add one part Snowgroni mix and 3-4 parts sparkling lemonade.

The gin makes a great base for this cocktail, resulting in a deliciously flavoursome drink that is less resinous and piney than the others in this review; nonetheless, the gin does hold its own against the bitter-sweet Campari and creamy Advocat.

In Conclusion

Brute is superb. It has a fantastic intensity, but not at the expense of complexity or elegance.

 

Brute Ultra Dry Gin is available for around £30 for 70cl from Master of Malt.

Cocktails with… Whittaker’s Gin

Today’s review has a special focus on one distillery: Harrogate Distillery and their award-winning gin brand, Whittaker’s. The distillery was started by Jane and Toby Whittaker in 2015 and is based in Nidderdale, Yorkshire. Whilst only two years old, the distillery has already released an exciting selection of gins.

Whittaker’s Original (42.0% ABV)

A classic and smooth gin made with neutral grain spirit and a botanical mix that includes:

Juniper
Coriander
Angelica
Lemon
Hawthorne Berries
Bilberries
Bog Myrtle
Garden Thyme

On its own
Nose: An intense, botanical nose that bursts forth from the glass. There is a vibrant mix of juniper and pine notes, from juicy berries and crisp pine needles to fragrant notes of blossom.
Taste: This gin has a lovely, dry flavour with just a touch of sweetness at the end. It has an excellent texture: very smooth with minimal heat – just enough to to add boldness to the flavour profile. Rich and complex juniper notes are complemented by citrus, warm spice, and then fruity berry notes that add both that slight sweetness and also a little tartness and zing. The finish is long and lingering. All-in-all, this is a classic gin that has its own distinguishing flair – delicious!

Gin & Tonic
Beautiful resinous juniper upfront, adding a bright “sparkle” to this drink from the start. A little citrus follows, then the fruity notes of dried berries. A balanced and exceptionally refreshing drink.

Martini
This Martini is wonderfully bright, with beautiful pine and juniper notes – crisp and fragrant – that make the cocktail really sing. Dryer flavours follow, working well alongside the powerful juniper, before a touch of more fruity notes on the finish.

Negroni
Exceptionally smooth. Again, beautifully rich juniper notes come through, bringing with them hints of citrus and coriander. These are followed by a fruity tartness from the berries, which makes this an unusual Negroni, but are also a fantastic addition. Finishing up, this cocktail keeps its classic, mellow bittersweetness.

Whittakers Navy Strength (57.0% ABV)

A higher ABV version of their original gin with the same botanical mix, but a slight adjustment of the botanical balance.

On its own
Nose: Earthy, with a light, sweet florality.
Taste: Very resinous: the juniper absolutely bursts through in this gin, which helps to give you a full appreciation of the berry: from its lighter, floral notes all the way through to deep, soapy cedar.

With Fever-Tree Tonic
A particularly herbal Gin & Tonic with bready notes before a biscuity spice and hints of coriander. Jammy berry notes then develop, before a dry finish that makes this a bold and yet thoroughly refreshing drink.

Martini
Bold and very zesty, with bright, deep, and resinous notes of cedar and juniper. The floral finish is long and lingering, neatly balancing and complementing that juniper. This is a powerful example of a classic Gin Martini; one that should be served very cold and, because of its great sippability, enjoyed sparingly.

Negroni
A citrus and coriander-forward Negroni with a great level of zestiness. This has a perfect intensity of flavour and would make a good aperitif.

Whittaker’s Clearly Sloe

A modern take on the sloe gin. Sloe berries are infused or macerated in the Whittaker’s Original Gin for six months, before the liquid is redistilled with a little liquorice. The resultant gin retains much of the character of the sloes, but none of the colour. Unlike most sloe gins, it is unsweetened.

On its own
Nose: A fantastic nose full of the rich, slightly tart notes of the sloe berry coming through, along with more jammy berry notes and an aromatic nuttiness.
Taste: Sloe berry comes through again on the palate, along with deep, resinous juniper notes. A little sweetness from the fruit followed, accompanied by a touch of marzipan. This is an absolutely superb spirit and a great example of a distilled sloe gin.

With Fever-Tree Tonic
The sloe berry flavours shine through: sweet and jammy with just a little tartness, followed by light, floral almond flavours and a fresh, citrus finish.

Martini
This is a superb cocktail that tastes just like an extra dry sloe gin: bold and resinous juniper to start, which develops into the bright stone fruit flavours of the berries. Delicious!

Negroni
The sloe berries really shine through in this cocktail – there is a lovely combination of the dry fruitiness and sweet almond & marzipan, all with a restrained bitterness. This is a totally different take on the Negroni, but a fantastic one.

In Conclusion

Whittaker’s have crafted a superb selection of gins with significant range, whilst keeping an apparent house-style. The imaginations of Toby and Jane really come through in their products and, whilst I enjoy all of the spirits, I always find myself drawn back to their original London Dry Gin.

If you want to try the full range, including their contemporary Pink Particular Gin, I can heartily recommend the gift pack of four 20cl bottles available on their website:
https://www.whittakersgin.com/shop/product/36378/Whittaker039-s-Gin-4-x-20cl-Gift-Pack/

Cocktails with… 6 O’Clock – Brunel Edition

As a longtime resident of Portsmouth I’ve always had an affinity with Isambard Kingdom Brunel, perhaps Britain’s greatest engineer. Brunel is also of great importance to the city of Bristol, where the SS Great Britain and the Brunel Museum are both located.

Today, I’m looking at a gin inspired by Brunel: 6 O’Clock Brunel Edition. Additionally, for every bottle sold, £1 will be donated to the SS Great Britain Trust’s new museum ‘Being Brunel’ which opens in 2018.

The gin, bottled at 50.0% ABV, is made using the original 6 O’Clock Gin as a base and adds more juniper and six new botanicals:
Lemon
Cardamom
Nutmeg
Cumin
Cassia bark
Cubeb

On its own
Nose: Exotic spice, anise, caraway and cumin with a touch of ginger.
Taste: Surprisingly smooth for 50% ABV, with a light, sweet spiciness upfront that gradually makes way for notes of vanilla and lemon. Smooth and clean, there’s also a touch of juniper jelly and coriander before a final burst of black menthol pepper with a little lingering, green pine.

Gin Tonic
This makes a rather spicy Gin Tonic with plenty of cinnamon and ginger notes, making it somewhat reminiscent of a spiced sponge. Juicy fruit notes follow, with a little citrus peel before some cumin and a hint of dark chocolate. Overall, this is a dry, refreshing drink with wonderful notes of intercontinental spice.

Martini
The rich spiciness comes through well in this cocktail: there’s a little dry cinnamon followed by more savoury notes of cumin and ginger with just a touch of turmeric. Sweet citrus and cardamom notes then develop, before a slightly earthy finish.

Martini-on-the-Rocks
Given the slightly higher ABV of this gin, some drinkers may prefer the slightly more dilute Martini-on-the-Rocks. Fill a tumbler to the top with ice, add 35ml of gin and 10ml dry vermouth and garnish with an olive or lemon peel.

The herbal and spiced notes of this gin work really well with the slightly wetter drink and, in comparison to the Martini, more of the vermouth comes through, too.

Negroni
A bold and “crunchy” Negroni with bright notes of fresh celery stalks accompanied by the spices found in the other drinks. The finish is earthy and slightly resinous and really lingers on the tongue.

With Cola
The gin adds a savoury spiciness to this serve, with notes of paprika, turmeric and ginger. Mixed with the cola, the gin also provides a hint of chocolate, but – overall – the drink is not overly sweet and has a pleasant, fiery, dry spice to it.

In Conclusion
6 O’Clock Gin: Brunel Edition is a bold gin that is great for mixing; the additional botanicals make this a great twist on what was already a lovely gin. My favourite drink was the Gin Tonic.

6 O’Clock Brunel edition is available from their website for £43 for 70cl.

Cocktails with… Peachey’s Norfolk Dry Gin

Cocktails with… Peachey Gin

Peachey Norfolk Dry Gin was created and is produced by Janet Peachey of Peachey’s Spirits. The gin is made in “Lucky”, a 30 litre stainless steel still from America, using a botanical mix of:

Juniper
Coriander
Angelica
Lemon
Sweet Orange
Orris Root
Cardamom
Liquorice
Vanilla

The gin is bottled at 43.0% ABV.

On its own
Nose: Light malt with aromas of coriander and lemon biscuits.
Taste: Ginger and cardamom at the start with a little hint of chocolate; this develops into bright and leafy notes of citrus. This is a complex gin that gradually unfurls on the palate like a flower in sunshine. Pleasantly balanced and lovely to sip on the rocks.

Gin & Tonic
Spicy and aromatic with plenty of coriander, cardamon and ginger. There’s a little sweetness before a zesty finish with a hint of juniper. Succulent and refreshing.

Martini
Citrus rich and leafy notes of lemon balm and lemon thyme are mixed with a little verbena. Then comes a twinkle of warm ginger, accompanied by aromatic cardamom and a little pine mixed with fragrant coriander on the finish.

Gin & Soda
Citrusy with notes of malt hops make this a deep and layered drink. Whilst it might be less piney than your average Gin & Soda, it is nonetheless very refreshing.

Negroni
A bold and punchy Negroni with the gin providing a multilayered array of leafy, herbal, citrus and spiced notes that really hold their own against the Campari. A lingering note of ginger spice is a pleasant addition to the Negroni’s typical earthy bitterness on the finish.

In Conclusion
Peachey Gin is a fresh and aromatic gin, full of pleasant citrus-spice notes. My favourite drink was the Gin Tonic.

http://www.peacheysspirits.com
http://www.facebook.com/Peacheys-Spirits-1398698517120138/

Cocktails with… Griffiths Brothers Gin

The last gin we reviewed (a little while back – sorry folks!) was one from the Home Counties (Campfire Gin based in Tring, Hertfordshire). Today, we nip across the border to Buckinghamshire and the Griffiths Brothers of Amersham.

For those not familiar with Amersham, it is at the very top left of the Tube map, at the very end of the Metropolitan Line.

The Griffiths Brothers make their gin in a rotavap named Roberta and it is bottled at 43.5% ABV. Here are its botanicals:

Juniper Berries
Coriander Seed
Angelica Root
Lemon Peel
Orange Peel
Orris Root
Grains of Paradise
Liquorice Root
Cassia Bark
Elderflower
Orange Blossom
Bay Laurel
Barberries

On its own
Nose: Bright and very citrus-y on the nose, with a hint of celery and black pepper, all followed by a touch of earthy, rooty liquorice.
Taste: Crisp leafy notes come through to start: bay laurel and the crisp crunchiness of celery. Then comes a symphony of citrus, from the zesty, pithy peel to the fragrant aromatics of the blossom. Additional crispness comes from the grains of paradise at the end, along with a lovely mouthfeel courtesy of the liquorice.

Gin Tonic
A delicious and delicate Gin Tonic with a very pleasant interplay between the gin’s citrus and leafy notes. It has strong flavours that stand up well to almost any tonic, creating a refreshing treat of a drink.

Martini
This cocktail has a lovely, light oiliness that provides plenty of flavour: delicate, floral citrus as well as hints of crunchy leaves, almost cucumber-esque. Then there’s a slight of peppery salinity before a touch of spice on the finish. I’d recommend garnishing this with a thin strip of cucumber peel.

Negroni
The orange comes through from the gin and works exceptionally well with the Campari and vermouth. The gin’s leafy notes add a fantastic additional depth to the drink.

In Conclusion
Griffiths Brothers is a flavoursome gin with a pleasant interplay between a range of citrus and crisp, leafy notes. My favourite drink was the Gin Tonic.

Cocktails with… Indogin

On a recent trip to Fibar-Valladolid in central Spain, I was surprised at how many of the gins available were still being made in the UK and imported to Spain. The Craft Distilling movement has started in the country, but it is still to see the boom that Britain currently enjoys.

Indogin is an example of one of these imported gins. Bottled at 40% ABV, it is made using botanicals that include: juniper, coriander, angelica, orange, lemon, liquorice, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, and thyme. Here’s what it tasted like.

On its own
Nose: Herbaceous, with a little salinity. It’s quite powerful, before creamy citrus and spicy coriander take over.
Taste: A gentle start, with a little malty coriander and a little creaminess. This is followed by the sweet spice of cardamom and ginger, as well as a sweetness and some liquorice. The finish is of a mix of citrus and dry angelica.

Gin & Tonic
Indogin makes a very typical and classic Gin & Tonic: clean and crisp, with a little herbaceous leafiness and spice. The finish is pleasant and full of citrus notes.

Martini
Clean and crisp, with light lemon citrus notes. This is a cocktail that is elegant and very easy to sip. A textbook Martini. Brilliant!

Negroni
A bold Negroni with quite a lot of bitterness, but the gin really powers through; it is not overwhelmed by the vermouth or the Campari. Another very classic cocktail, and one which would be great before a meal or, lengthened with soda water, a cooler to sip on a hot day.

In Conclusion
Indogin is a solid, classic gin that is both pleasant to sip neat and works well in a variety of classic gin cocktails. My favourite drink was the Martini.

Cocktails with… Mombasa Club Gin

There are a number of gins that are produced in the UK, but are then directly transported and so are not available for purchase in their country of origin. Mombasa Club is one such gin, which is produced by Thames Distillers and is exported to Spain.

Mombasa Club is bottled at 41.5% ABV .

There is also a Mombasa Club Reserve, which is bottled at 43.5%ABV.

Mombasa Club Gin – thanks to Nicholas for the picture

 

On its own
Nose: Bright juniper and spice, with cumin and dry cinnamon.
Taste: This is a spiced gin, but not one that is too intense or deviates too far from gin’s classic style. A well-rounded spirit with dry notes of juniper, angelica, and a little citrus coriander.

Gin & Tonic
A lovely Gin & Tonic: refreshing, airy, and rather classic, but with dry spice in background; in particular, cumin and ginger.

Martini
Delightfully clean and smooth, with notes of juniper, citrus, and a pleasant spiced element. Again, ginger, cinnamon, and cumin come through; subtle, but notable.

Negroni
This makes for a cocktail with a good, strong flavour. It is dry, but has a little, subtle spice to it, which is followed by a powerful finish. There’s a fair bit of bitterness, but it’s accompanied by a pleasant freshness.

In Conclusion
Mombasa is a full and spicy gin that adds great character to the drinks that is mixed in, as well as a smooth freshness. My favourite drink was the Gin & Tonic.

Cocktails with… Gordon’s Castle Gin

Gordon’s Castle Gin is inspired by the walled garden at Gordon Castle estate in Moray, Scotland, although it is made at the Timbermill Distillery in London. As a result, its botanicals include: mint, lavender, and gooseberries. The gin is bottled at 43.0% ABV.

The Taste

On its own
Nose: Juniper, coriander, citrus, and an earthy spiciness with a hint of nutty chocolate.
Taste: This gin has a smooth texture. There is a touch of vanilla, followed by juicy citrus, juniper, and a little menthol pepper on the finish.

Gin & Tonic
Just like the gin served neat, this is another classic drink: dry and fresh, with a hint of citrus. The notable dryness is accompanied by a pleasant crispness, whilst the gin works well with no garnish either lemon or lime would work well, I think I’d go with the former.

Martini
Clean and crisp, with a dry finish. This has a whole array of luscious, fruity, leafy elements, plus a touch of herbaceousness. Again, classic and very good.

Negroni
Simple, but very, very bitter, with lots of earthy notes. This is incredibly intense, with some vegetable notes somewhat reminiscent of asparagus. Overall, this is bold, with good flavour integration.

In Conclusion
Gordon’s Castle Gin is a classic gin with a little extra dryness and a touch of bitterness, as well as some pepper menthol notes that help it to stand out from the crowd. It is very mixable, indeed, and without a doubt the extra-bitter Negroni was my favourite.