Sardinian maquis smells strongest once the sun has worked the scrub all day: myrtle, resin and a warm, almost curry-like note from helichrysum. Boigin sets out to catch exactly that air and pour it into a bottle. Here in 3 cl, so the island can be visited in a single glass.
The expert's description
Sample 3 cl Boigin Italian Gin 40% is an Italian gin distilled in small batches with juniper and Sardinian herbs such as myrtle, mastic, sage and helichrysum, bottled at 40%.
The gin comes from Silvio Carta, a distillery in Zeddiani in the province of Oristano on the west coast of Sardinia. The house works to a zero km principle, sourcing its raw materials as close to home as it can. The citrus fruit and the juniper come from the Sinis peninsula and from the distillery's own botanical garden, which goes a long way towards explaining why this gin tastes of its place.
The herb selection is Sardinian through and through. Myrtle is the island's signature plant, familiar from mirto, the dark berry drink served after dinner all over Sardinia. Mastic, known locally as lentischio, brings resin and something dry and pine-like. Sage lays in a dusty herbal tone, and helichrysum, the everlasting flower of the dunes, supplies the warm spice note that makes people take a second sniff.
At 40% Boigin is softer than many northern gins, and the juniper has stepped back to make room for the Mediterranean herbs. This is a gin built for the table rather than the bar, and the producer recommends it in an Italian Gin and Tonic drunk across a whole meal. This 3 cl bottling is a ticket into the Sardinian style.
Tasting notes
Nose
Mediterranean scrub immediately. Myrtle berries and resin first, then lemon peel and a trace of sage. Helichrysum sits furthest back with its warm, spiced perfume.
Palate
A soft, round opening where juniper shares the room with myrtle. Mastic lays a dry resinous tone across the middle, and sage pulls it in a herbal direction. A hint of sea salt runs underneath the lot.
Finish
Dry and herbal with a warm spice note from the helichrysum. The resin lingers longest and leaves the mouth clean and gently bitter.
Specifications
Name: Sample 3 cl Boigin Italian Gin 40%
Distillery: Silvio Carta
Region/Country: Sardinia, Italy
Type: Italian Gin
ABV: 40%
Size: 3 CL
Botanicals: Juniper, myrtle, mastic, sage and helichrysum
Edition: Small Batch Handcrafted
Serving suggestion: With Tonic Water in a large glass with lemon peel, ideally alongside food
Flavour profile
Herbal · Resinous · Mediterranean · Spiced · Dry
Did you know?
Helichrysum is commonly called the curry plant, because its yellow flowers smell strikingly of curry when rubbed between the fingers. It grows wild in the dunes of Sardinia and is one of the scents locals tie to high summer.
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