The building's roots go back to the 1400s as a monastery for the Black Friars, and it was from here that the Pilgrim Fathers took their last walk on English soil before sailing on the Mayflower in 1620. Since 1793, the same site has housed a gin distillery.

Expert's description

Plymouth Gin is an English Gin distilled at Black Friars Distillery in Plymouth and bottled at 41.2%.

Black Friars Distillery is England's oldest working gin distillery, with records of a 'mault-house' on the site dating back to 1697. In 1793, the Coates family took over the building and converted it into a distillery for 'Plymouth Gin'.

The building's history stretches back even further: the Refectory, with its distinctive hull-shaped timber roof, was built in 1431, and the site originally served as a monastery for the Black Friars.

Plymouth Gin is known for an earthy, root-driven character that sets it apart from the more citrus-led London Dry style, and the name is protected as a geographical indication.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is earthy and lightly sweet with juniper and a root-like depth.

Palate

The palate is soft and full-bodied with juniper up front, backed by an earthy sweetness and spiced depth.

Finish

The finish is long and round, with a last trace of citrus.

Specifications

Name: Plymouth Gin
Distillery: Black Friars Distillery
Country: England
Type: Gin
ABV: 41.2%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5000299608005
Serving suggestion: Gin & Tonic with a slice of lemon
Distillery: Plymouth Gin

Flavour profile

Earthy · Soft · Round · Spiced · Classic

Did you know?

The Pilgrim Fathers spent their last night in England inside the Black Friars building in 1620, before making the short walk down to the harbour to sail for America on the Mayflower.

See our full range of Plymouth

Following a classic recipe from 1883, sloe berries are slowly and gently steeped in Plymouth Gin, soft Dartmoor spring water and a small amount of sugar for about four months, where the low sugar level lets the full flavour and tartness of the berries shine through.

Expert's description

Plymouth Sloe Gin is an English sloe gin made from Plymouth Gin, bottled at 26%.

The gin is built on botanicals from Plymouth Gin, including juniper, coriander seed, orange peel, lemon peel, angelica root, green cardamom and orris root, infused with sloe berries.

The berries steep for around four months in Plymouth Gin, soft Dartmoor water and a small amount of sugar, following the classic 1883 recipe.

The deliberately low sugar level lets the tart, dry character of the fruit play an important role in the flavour rather than drowning it in sweetness.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose offers juniper berries, almonds, citrus aromas, sloe berries and tart cherry.

Palate

The palate is clean with notes of orange and lemon peel, herbs and sloe berries, where sweet and tart play together in good balance.

Finish

The finish is crisp and long.

Specifications

Name: Plymouth Sloe Gin
Distillery: Plymouth Gin
Country: England
Type: Sloe Gin
ABV: 26%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5000299608012
Serving suggestion: Neat over ice or in a Sloe Gin Fizz
Distillery: Plymouth Gin

Flavour profile

Sloe berry · Tart · Sweet · Berry

Did you know?

Plymouth Sloe Gin won a Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2011 for its rendition of the classic 1883 recipe.

See our full range of Plymouth

Poetic License turns up the comfort with this liqueur, tasting like a warm apple pie with a touch of salted caramel.

Expert's description

Poetic License Baked Apple & Salted Caramel Small Batch Gin Liqueur is an English Gin Liqueur, bottled at 21%.

The liqueur combines the taste of baked apple with a sweetly rounded salted caramel tone.

It is best enjoyed chilled over ice or in a Salted Caramel Appletini with apple juice, lemon juice and a cinnamon stick as garnish.

Poetic License is known for its creative, dessert-inspired gin liqueurs.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is sweetly rounded, with baked apple and caramel.

Palate

The palate is rich, with apple, caramel and a touch of salt.

Finish

The finish is sweetly rounded and warm.

Specifications

Name: Poetic License Baked Apple & Salted Caramel Small Batch Gin Liqueur
Distillery: Poetic License
Country: England
Type: Gin Liqueur
ABV: 21%
Size: 50 CL
EAN no.: 0797776962037
Serving suggestion: Chilled over ice or in a Salted Caramel Appletini

Flavour profile

Apple · Caramel · Sweetly rounded

Did you know?

Poetic License is known for experimenting with dessert-inspired flavours in its gin liqueurs, including baked apple and salted caramel.

See our full range of Poetic License

Poetic License lets orange and peppercorns open the show, before a wealth of citrus fruit explodes in flavour.

Expert's description

Poetic License St. Clements Small Batch Gin Liqueur is an English Gin Liqueur, bottled at 21%.

The liqueur offers fresh orange and fresh peppercorns, which are the first thing you notice in the flavour.

A wealth of citrus fruit then explodes in flavour, giving a complex and refreshing experience.

It is best enjoyed chilled over ice, or with freshly squeezed lime and sugar cane syrup.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is citrus-forward, with orange and a touch of pepper.

Palate

The palate offers orange, peppercorns and an explosion of citrus fruit.

Finish

The finish is fresh and citrusy.

Specifications

Name: Poetic License St. Clements Small Batch Gin Liqueur
Distillery: Poetic License
Country: England
Type: Gin Liqueur
ABV: 21%
Size: 50 CL
EAN no.: 0797776962051
Serving suggestion: Chilled over ice or with freshly squeezed lime and sugar cane syrup

Flavour profile

Citrus · Orange · Pepper

Did you know?

The name St. Clements refers to the old English nursery rhyme 'Oranges and Lemons', which mentions the church of St. Clement's in London.

See our full range of Poetic License

In his vacuum still Crysopea, Jacopo Poli distils a gin that carries the Venetian mountain air straight from the Alps, with pine, mint and ripe muscat grapes.

Expert's description

Poli Marconi 46 Distilled Dry Gin is an Italian gin from Distilleria Poli, bottled at 46%.

The gin is distilled from juniper, muscat grapes, mountain pine, stone pine, mint, cardamom and coriander seed.

Poli uses his own vacuum bain-marie pot still, Crysopea, which distils at a lower temperature and preserves the botanicals' fresh, intense aromas better than conventional stills.

The muscat grapes give the gin a silky character, while pine and mint add a touch of alpine freshness.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is bright and resinous with juniper wrapped in cool, balsamic pine and fresh herbs.

Palate

The palate is silky with muscat grape and elegant retro-nasal cardamom and coriander.

Finish

The finish is long, dry and aromatic with green herbs and a slightly resinous edge.

Specifications

Name: Poli Marconi 46 Distilled Dry Gin
Distillery: Distilleria Poli
Country: Italy
Type: Dry Gin
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 8014115001649
Serving suggestion: Gin & Tonic with a sprig of fresh mint
Distillery: Distilleria Poli

Flavour profile

Alpine · Muscat grape · Pine · Spiced

Did you know?

The gin is distilled in Jacopo Poli's own vacuum still, Crysopea, which distils at a lower temperature to preserve the botanicals' intense aromas.

See our full range of Poli Marconi

This Scottish gin won Gold at the IWSC in 2016, a quality mark that speaks for itself.

Expert's description

Porters Gin is a Scottish gin, bottled at 41.5%.

The gin is distilled by Porters Gin in Scotland.

The quality was recognised when the gin won a gold medal at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in 2016.

The gin is well suited to a classic Gin & Tonic.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose has a classic Scottish gin character.

Palate

The palate is well-balanced, in line with the award-winning quality.

Finish

The finish is clean and rounded.

Specifications

Name: Porters Gin
Distillery: Porters Gin
Country: Scotland
Type: Gin
ABV: 41.5%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 0797776082926
Serving suggestion: Gin & Tonic with a slice of lemon

Flavour profile

Classic · Balanced · Scottish

Did you know?

Porters Gin won a gold medal at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in 2016.

See our full range of Porter's

In 2011, four friends opened The Ginstitute above a 19th-century drinking den on Portobello Road in London, where a small 30-litre copper pot still named Copernicus the Second gave birth to this gin after nine months of experimentation.

Expert's description

Portobello Road Gin is an English London Dry Gin, bottled at 42%.

The gin is built on nine botanicals: juniper, lemon, bitter orange, coriander, angelica, orris, cassia, licorice and nutmeg.

The ingredients are sourced from around the world, including juniper and orris from Tuscany, Spanish lemon peels, bitter orange peels from Haiti or Morocco, nutmeg from Indonesia and cassia bark from Southeast Asia.

The gin won a Gold Medal at the San Francisco Spirit Awards in 2014, just three years after the distillery's founding.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is herbaceous with green juniper, with very subtle hints of meadow and grass underneath.

Palate

The palate is spice-forward once sipped, warming to the palate with nutmeg being surprisingly prominent.

Finish

The finish has juniper at its centre, offering a robust and earthy foundation, with zesty citrus notes of lemon and bitter orange peel.

Specifications

Name: Portobello Road Gin
Country: England
Type: London Dry Gin
ABV: 42%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5060292550008
Serving suggestion: Gin & Tonic with orange peel
Distillery: Portobello Road Distillery

Flavour profile

Juniper · Nutmeg · Spiced · Citrus

Did you know?

The gin was created on a small 30-litre copper pot still called Copernicus the Second, after nine months of experimentation at The Ginstitute on Portobello Road.

See our full range of Portobello Road

A gin with an Easter theme, designed as a festive bottle for the Easter table or as a fun gift.

Expert's description

Rabbit London Dry Gin Easter Edition is a London Dry Gin in a small batch expression, bottled at 41%.

The gin is produced on a small scale and carries an Easter theme, making it a natural bottle for spring.

As a London Dry Gin, it is built on classic gin botanicals with juniper as its foundation.

The gin is well suited to a classic Gin & Tonic.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose has a classic gin character, with distinct juniper.

Palate

The palate is clean and well-balanced, in classic London Dry style.

Finish

The finish is dry and fresh.

Specifications

Name: Rabbit London Dry Gin Easter Edition
Type: London Dry Gin
ABV: 41%
Size: 70 CL
Serving suggestion: Gin & Tonic with a slice of lemon

Flavour profile

Juniper · Classic · Fresh

Did you know?

The gin is a small batch expression carrying a festive Easter theme.

See our full range of Rabbit

Radius Distillery turns up the strength with this Navy Strength Gin, where juniper, hops and angelica give a bold, powerful expression.

Expert's description

Radius Batch No. 00038 Danish Navy Strength Gin is a Danish Navy Strength Gin, bottled at 57.5%.

The gin is distilled by Radius Distillery in Denmark.

The botanicals list includes juniper, hops, orris root and angelica.

The high strength of 57.5% gives the gin a bold power and intensity, typical of the Navy Strength style.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is intense, with juniper and hops.

Palate

The palate is powerful, with orris root and angelica.

Finish

The finish is long and warm.

Specifications

Name: Batch No. 00038
Distillery: Radius
Country: Denmark
Type: Danish Navy Strength Gin
ABV: 57.5%
Size: 50 CL
EAN no.: 5714474000385
Serving suggestion: Gin & Tonic with Artisan Drinks Classic London Tonic and a slice of lemon or lime

Flavour profile

Powerful · Juniper · Intense

Did you know?

Navy Strength Gin has historical roots dating back to the British Royal Navy, where the strength had to be high enough that gunpowder could still ignite even after a spill of gin.

See our full range of Radius

A gin for all Rammstein fans: this limited sloe gin carries the German rock band's name into the world of spirits.

Expert's description

Rammstein Limited Sloe Premium Gin is a Dutch Sloe Gin, bottled at 27%.

The gin is distilled on old stills at Onder de Boompjes distillery in Holland.

It is based on traditional botanical ingredients such as juniper, coriander, angelica root, lemongrass and cardamom.

After distillation, sloe berries are added to achieve the well-known sloe gin character.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is fruity, with sloe berries and a touch of spice.

Palate

The palate is sweetly rounded, with sloe berries and classic gin botanicals.

Finish

The finish is lightly tart and fruity.

Specifications

Name: Rammstein Limited Sloe Premium Gin
Distillery: Onder de Boompjes
Country: Holland
Type: Sloe Gin
ABV: 27%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5712718004687
Serving suggestion: Over ice or in a cocktail

Flavour profile

Sloe berry · Fruity · Spiced

Did you know?

Rammstein Limited Sloe Gin is part of the German rock band's own spirits range, which also includes whisky, rum and vodka.

See our full range of Rammstein

German metal band Rammstein has lent its name to a gin that turns violet when mixed with tonic. Behind the bottle is Danish spirits company 1423, with the band personally involved in shaping the recipe.

Expert's description

Rammstein Schwarz Blueberry Gin is a Danish gin infused with blueberry and raspberry and bottled at 40%.

The gin was created in collaboration between 1423 World Class Spirits and the German band Rammstein, who personally helped select the recipe for their spirits range. The base is classic botanicals such as juniper, coriander seed, angelica root, lemongrass and cardamom, joined by elderberry and a generous helping of blueberry and raspberry.

The dark berries give the gin its distinctive violet colour, which becomes even more pronounced when mixed with tonic or other clear mixers.

Tasting notes

Nose

Lively notes of blueberry and raspberry, lifted by a touch of lemon over a base of piney juniper.

Palate

The palate offers sweet berries meeting cardamom and juniper, before moving towards a spiced finish.

Finish

The finish is spiced and lightly dry, with a last trace of berries.

Specifications

Name: Rammstein Schwarz Blueberry Gin
Country: Denmark
Type: Gin
Size: 70 CL
ABV: 40%
Serving suggestion: Serve with tonic to bring out the gin's violet colour
Distillery: 1423 World Class Spirits
EAN no.: 5712718007756

Flavour profile

Berry · Sweet · Spiced · Piney

Did you know?

The gin turns a violet shade when mixed with tonic or other clear mixers, thanks to the dark berries in the recipe.

See our full range of Rammstein

Red Door brings the character of winter into the bottle with this limited edition, created from selected botanicals.

Expert's description

Red Door Highland Winter Edition Small Batch London Dry Gin is a Scottish London Dry Gin, bottled at 45%.

The gin is a limited edition, created from selected botanicals suited to the winter season.

It is distilled in the Scottish Highlands and has roots in the Benromach distillery.

The gin is recommended served with a slice of blood orange, which both garnishes and adds flavour to the drink.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is spiced with a touch of citrus.

Palate

The palate is full and spiced, matching the character of winter.

Finish

The finish is warm and spiced.

Specifications

Name: Red Door Highland Winter Edition Small Batch London Dry Gin
Country: Scotland
Type: London Dry Gin
ABV: 45%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5020613074996
Serving suggestion: With a slice of blood orange
Distillery: Red Door Gin

Flavour profile

Spiced · Full · Wintery

Did you know?

Red Door Gin has connections to the Benromach distillery in the Scottish Highlands.

See our full range of gin

From the renowned Riga Black Balsam house comes this dry gin, where four herbs share the leading role.

Expert's description

Cross Keys Riga Black Balsam Single Batch Dry Gin is a Latvian Dry Gin, bottled at 41%.

The gin has four main ingredients that dominate the flavour: juniper, rosemary, chamomile and linden blossom.

This combination gives the gin an herbal, floral character that sets it apart from many classic dry gins.

The gin is recommended served with a slice of lemon peel and a fresh sprig of rosemary, which support the herbal notes.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is herbal, with rosemary and chamomile.

Palate

The palate offers juniper complemented by rosemary, chamomile and linden blossom.

Finish

The finish is herbal and floral.

Specifications

Name: Cross Keys Riga Black Balsam Single Batch Dry Gin
Country: Latvia
Type: Dry Gin
ABV: 41%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 4750021007224
Serving suggestion: With a slice of lemon peel and a fresh sprig of rosemary
Distillery: Cross Keys

Flavour profile

Herbal · Floral · Rosemary

Did you know?

Cross Keys Dry Gin comes from the same house as the famous Latvian bitter Riga Black Balsam.

See our full range of Riga Black Balsam

An elegant Spanish gin built on as many as nine different botanicals, giving it a rounded Mediterranean character.

Expert's description

Rives Original Mediterranean Dry Gin is a Spanish Dry Gin, bottled at 37.5%.

The gin is distilled with nine different botanicals, giving it an elegant and well-balanced profile.

The gin belongs to the Spanish Mediterranean Dry Gin tradition, known for a softer and more rounded style than many classic English gins.

The gin's lower alcohol strength of 37.5% makes it a mild and approachable choice for a Gin & Tonic.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is elegant and balanced, characteristic of the Mediterranean gin style.

Palate

The palate is soft and well-rounded, with nine botanicals working together in a harmonious whole.

Finish

The finish is mild and clean.

Specifications

Name: Rives Original Mediterranean Dry Gin
Distillery: Rives
Country: Spain
Type: Mediterranean Dry Gin
ABV: 37.5%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 8410337427081
Serving suggestion: Gin & Tonic with a slice of lime

Flavour profile

Elegant · Balanced · Soft · Mild

Did you know?

Mediterranean Dry Gin is a Spanish style tradition, typically softer and more rounded than classic English gins.

See our full range of Rives

Suntory has distilled gin in Japan since 1936, but it wasn't until 2017 that they gathered six Japanese botanicals into one hexagonal bottle and named it Roku, the Japanese word for the number six.

Expert's description

Roku Gin is a Japanese Craft Gin distilled by Suntory and bottled at 43%.

Suntory's gin history stretches back to 1936, when the house launched Hermes Dry Gin, the first London-style gin made in Japan. Roku builds on that legacy with a modern, Japanese angle.

The six key botanicals, sakura flower, sakura leaf, yuzu peel, sencha tea, gyokuro tea and sanshō pepper, are each harvested at the point in the season when their flavour peaks, and distilled separately before being blended.

The hexagonal bottle is embossed with all six botanicals, symbolising the name Roku itself.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is floral and delicate with sakura and a fresh citrus tone from yuzu.

Palate

The palate is round and light with juniper in the background, backed by green tea bitterness and a light peppery spice from sanshō.

Finish

The finish is soft and floral, with a last trace of yuzu and green tea.

Specifications

Name: Roku Gin
Distillery: Suntory
Country: Japan
Type: Craft Gin
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 4901777305359
Serving suggestion: Gin & Tonic with a slice of yuzu or a cherry blossom
Distillery: Suntory Roku Gin

Flavour profile

Floral · Citrus · Soft · Delicate · Spiced

Did you know?

Roku's six botanicals are embossed directly onto the hexagonal bottle - Roku means 'six' in Japanese.

See our full range of Roku

In 1872, Simon Rutte opened a bar in the Dutch port town of Dordrecht and set up a distillery in the back room. Today the bar is a shop, but the recipes and craftsmanship remain largely unchanged.

Expert's description

Rutte Dry Gin is a Dutch Dry Gin distilled by Distilleerderij Rutte in Dordrecht and bottled at 43%.

Dordrecht was once an important trading town with access to spices, grain and wine via the water, making it a natural home for a botanical distiller.

Rutte is known for using everything nature offers: herbs and spices, but also fresh fruit, peels, nuts, roots and flowers. Dry Gin is built on juniper, celery leaf, coriander seed, angelica root, hand-peeled orange zest and cardamom.

Celery leaf, a different plant from ordinary salad celery, gives the gin a distinctive crisp, green note that has become one of Rutte's trademarks.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is herbal and lightly peppery with clear celery, backed by juniper and a fresh citrus tone.

Palate

The palate is crisp and spiced with celery leaf up front, coriander and a warm undertone of cardamom.

Finish

The finish is dry and herbal, with a last trace of angelica and citrus.

Specifications

Name: Rutte Dry Gin
Distillery: Distilleerderij Rutte
Country: Netherlands
Type: Dry Gin
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 8710625011719
Serving suggestion: Gin & Tonic with a stick of celery leaf
Distillery: Distilleerderij Rutte

Flavour profile

Herbal · Crisp · Spiced · Green · Dry

Did you know?

Rutte has existed since 1872 and is one of the few Dutch distilleries never fundamentally modernised - the old recipes and craftsmanship remain intact.

See our full range of Rutte

In the archives of the old French house Gabriel Boudier lay a recipe dating back to when France held trading posts in India. Saffron Gin is the rediscovered tribute to the exotic spices that were once the height of fashion.

Expert's description

Saffron Gin is a French London Dry Gin distilled by Gabriel Boudier in Dijon and bottled at 40%.

The recipe was rediscovered in Maison Boudier's archives in 2008, when the company's British importer asked for a French London Dry Gin. The story dates back to the 19th century, when France held colonies such as Pondicherry, Chandernagore and Madras, famed for their exotic botanicals.

The gin is distilled from seven classic botanicals - juniper, coriander, lemon peel, orange peel, angelica root, iris and fennel - before an infusion of real saffron threads from Crocus sativus is added.

The saffron gives the gin its characteristic golden hue and an earthy, lightly sweet spice that sets it apart from most other London Dry Gins.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose offers juniper and citrus, spiced with an earthy, lightly honeyed tone from the saffron.

Palate

The palate is round with classic juniper and coriander, where the saffron adds a warm, slightly bitter spice.

Finish

The finish is long and spiced, with a last trace of iris and earthy saffron.

Specifications

Name: Saffron Gin
Distillery: Gabriel Boudier
Country: France
Type: London Dry Gin
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 3252560600047
Serving suggestion: Saffron Gin Tonic with a slice of orange
Distillery: Gabriel Boudier

Flavour profile

Spiced · Earthy · Golden · Citrus · Classic

Did you know?

Saffron does more than flavour the gin - it also colours it. Saffron Gin has a light golden hue, unusual for a classic gin.

See our full range of Saffron

A few lads from Vejle with a serious eye for raw materials. A Spanish wine house with the local herbs growing on its doorstep. Out of that pairing came GB Grand Botanical, a triple distilled dry gin softer in style than most. Here in 3 cl.

The expert's description

Sample 3 cl Big Farm Boys GB Grand Botanical Premium Dry Gin 37.5% is a Spanish-made Premium Dry Gin, triple distilled with a selection of local herbs and bottled at 37.5%.

Big Farm Boys is a Danish brand out of Vejle. The people behind it built their whole approach around ingredients, and when the gin came up they did not set out to distil it themselves. Production went to Bodegas Cruz Conde in Spain, a house that spends its working life on sherry and wine. That is an unusual address for a gin, and you can taste it.

GB Grand Botanical rests on a set of herbs from the country around the bodega, all chosen for quality. The aroma is intense without turning sharp, and the palate lands softly with citrus on the close. Setting it at 37.5% is deliberate: the alcohol steps aside so the herbs can be heard more clearly.

The brand carries two gins, and Grand Botanical is the classic of the pair. This 3 cl bottling exists to give an impression of the style before anyone commits to a full bottle.

Tasting notes

Nose

Mild but wide. Dried herbs and juniper sit side by side, with a note of freshly peeled citrus resting over them. Nothing juts out, everything holds together.

Palate

Soft and rounded from the first sip. The herbs fill the middle with a light sweetness, juniper keeps the direction, and a trace of spice settles underneath. The low strength leaves the mouth round rather than sharp.

Finish

Citrus takes over at the end, mild and dry, and lingers a while without ever biting.

Specifications

Name: Sample 3 cl Big Farm Boys GB Grand Botanical Premium Dry Gin 37.5%
Distillery: Bodegas Cruz Conde
Producer: Big Farm Boys
Region/Country: Spain
Type: Premium Dry Gin
ABV: 37.5%
Size: 3 CL
Distillation method: Triple distilled
Edition: GB Grand Botanical
Serving suggestion: Neat in a cognac glass or with a dry Tonic Water

Flavour profile

Mild · Herbal · Citrus · Soft · Lightly spiced

Did you know?

Cruz Conde is first and foremost a sherry house. Wine and fortified wine are the day job, and distilling gin is a side branch where the copper gets put to work on something other than what it was originally set up for.

See our full range of Gin Brands

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.

See our full range of Gin Brands

Most gin begins in a sack of grain. This one begins in the soil of a farm in Herefordshire, where the potatoes are lifted, washed, mashed and fermented on site. Only then does juniper enter the picture. Here in 3 cl, for anyone curious about what a potato tastes like once it has become gin.

The expert's description

Sample 3 cl Chase Great British Extra Dry Gin 40% is an Extra Dry Gin distilled from Chase potato vodka with eleven botanicals and bottled at 40%.

Chase Distillery sits on Rosemaund Farm in Herefordshire, England, and the farm is where the whole thing starts. Potatoes are grown in the fields around the distillery and turned into vodka on the spot. That vodka is the base for the gin, which is redistilled with eleven botanicals: juniper buds, juniper berries, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, almond, coriander, cardamom, cloves, liquorice and lemon peel.

The potato base makes itself felt. Where a grain-based gin is often lean and sharp, potato brings a thicker, almost creamy mouthfeel, and it carries spice better than a neutral grain spirit would. That is why so much warm spice can sit in the recipe without the gin turning heavy.

Extra Dry in the name points to the style. Nothing is sweetened, and although cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg sound like something that belongs in December, the gin stays at the dry, spiced end the whole way through. This 3 cl bottling exists so the style can be learned before a full bottle is chosen.

Tasting notes

Nose

Warm spice first, cinnamon and clove side by side, nutmeg right behind them. Juniper sits underneath as a dry pine note, and there is a trace of overripe fruit and lemon peel out at the edge.

Palate

Creamy to feel, dry to taste. The spices land immediately, cinnamon and clove up front, black pepper and ginger behind. Juniper cuts in across the middle with resin and pine, while liquorice and almond lay down a soft floor.

Finish

Long and spiced. Peppery warmth stays in the throat while the lemon peel dries the mouth out, and at the very end juniper is left standing on its own.

Specifications

Name: Sample 3 cl Chase Great British Extra Dry Gin 40%
Producer: Chase Distillery
Region/Country: Herefordshire, England
Type: Extra Dry Gin
ABV: 40%
Size: 3 CL
Botanicals: Juniper buds, juniper berries, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, almond, coriander, cardamom, cloves, liquorice and lemon peel
Distillation method: Redistillation of Chase potato vodka with eleven botanicals
Serving suggestion: With Tonic Water, ice and a wide strip of lemon peel

Flavour profile

Spiced · Dry · Creamy · Juniper-forward · Peppery

Did you know?

The man behind the distillery, William Chase, was a potato farmer long before he was a distiller. He first turned his own crop into crisps under the Tyrrells name, sold that business, and then used the same fields to make spirits instead.

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Out at Farre, a stretch west of Give, sits a distillery that made its name smoking malt over nettles. Those same nettles are in this gin, tucked under lemon and lime. Three centilitres is enough to work out why they bother.

The expert's description

Sample 3 cl Fary Lochan Citrus Small Batch Danish Gin 40% is a Danish Gin distilled in small batches with juniper, lemon, lime, coriander seeds and nettles and bottled at 40%.

Fary Lochan Destilleri sits in the village of Farre near Give in central Jutland. The place is small, production runs in short batches, and over the years the distillery has built a reputation for doing things its own way rather than copying the Scots. Citrus is the brightest release in their gin range, and according to the shop's own information it builds on the distillery's Classic Gin with extra lemon and lime laid on top.

That addition is what gives the bottle its yellow tint and its leading aroma. Lemon and lime supply the tartness and a clear peel note, while the coriander seeds tie citrus and juniper together. The nettles are the quiet ingredient: they make no fuss, but they lay down a green, faintly bitter floor you will not find in a classic London Dry Gin.

Forty per cent is enough to carry that citrus through both tonic water and ice. The gin is meant for either, neat over ice or in a Gin and Tonic, and the 3 cl bottling exists so you can taste your way forward before choosing a larger bottle.

Tasting notes

Nose

Squeezed lemon peel lands first, sharp and juicy, with lime right behind it. Under the citrus lies a green, almost grassy layer from the nettles, and juniper keeps discreetly to the back.

Palate

Tart and crisp. Lemon and lime fill the front of the mouth, then juniper's dry bitterness reports for duty and pulls everything back down to earth. Coriander adds a warm, faintly soapy spice, and the nettles round it off with something green and herbal.

Finish

Lime peel and a dry bitterness stay behind. Short, clean, with a green trace right at the end.

Specifications

Name: Sample 3 cl Fary Lochan Citrus Small Batch Danish Gin 40%
Distillery: Fary Lochan Destilleri
Region/Country: Farre near Give, Denmark
Type: Danish Gin
ABV: 40%
Size: 3 CL
Botanicals: Juniper, lemon, lime, coriander seeds and nettles
Edition: Citrus Small Batch
EAN no.: 5714713000640
Serving suggestion: Neat over plenty of ice or in a Gin and Tonic with lime

Flavour profile

Citrus · Tart · Fresh · Herbal · Dry

Did you know?

Fary Lochan smokes its malted barley over fresh nettles instead of peat. That is the distillery's signature in the whisky, and the same nettles have been pulled into the gin, where they supply the green underside of the flavour.

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The mountains behind this bottle are not just a picture on the label. FLY is distilled in Switzerland, run through the still again and again with no shortcuts, until no sharp edges are left. No gimmicks, no fashionable botanicals. Three centilitres to decide whether it is your style.

The expert's description

Sample 3 cl Fly Finest Quality Alpine Gin 40% is a Swiss Alpine Gin distilled several times with classic gin botanicals and bottled at 40%.

Behind FLY stands Fire & Ice Beverages AG in Switzerland. The company makes a point of holding to Swiss standards without abbreviations, and the gin is built the same way: it is distilled several times, precisely to make the spirit as supple as possible and let the aromas of the classic botanicals come through cleanly.

Alpine Gin is not a protected term in law. It is a place name more than a recipe, pointing to gin from the Alpine countries, where soft mountain water and a dry, herbal style are the shared traits. FLY stays on that line. No unusual ingredient has been chased down; instead the work has gone into juniper, citrus and root spice in a clear, balanced shape.

Forty per cent sits where the gin can carry a glass of tonic water without thinning out, and where it can also be chilled down into a dry Martini. This 3 cl bottling is meant to give an impression of the Swiss style before anyone commits to a full bottle.

Tasting notes

Nose

Aromatic juniper stands at the front, clear and resinous. Behind it lie citrus oil and grated orange zest, and right at the bottom a trace of liquorice root that lends depth without sweetness.

Palate

Clean and dry. Juniper carries the middle, orange zest gives it width, and a light spice settles along the sides of the tongue. There are no edges and no burn, just an even, balanced passage across the mouth.

Finish

Dry and medium in length. The liquorice root stays behind as a faint sweetness in an otherwise entirely dry close, and the juniper lets go slowly.

Specifications

Name: Sample 3 cl Fly Finest Quality Alpine Gin 40%
Producer: Fire & Ice Beverages AG
Region/Country: Switzerland
Type: Alpine Gin
ABV: 40%
Size: 3 CL
Distillation method: Distilled several times
Edition: Finest Quality
Serving suggestion: With Tonic Water and lemon peel, or ice cold in a dry Martini

Flavour profile

Juniper-led · Citrus · Dry · Smooth · Lightly spiced

Did you know?

The brand is called FLY, but the company behind it is Fire & Ice Beverages AG. That name is nowhere on the front of the bottle, so most people only ever meet the three letters.

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An English estate family, an old recipe and a decision to bottle the gin stronger than anyone else. Foxdenton makes little noise about itself, but the label reads 48%, and few London Dry Gins go that high. Here in 3 cl, so the strength can be tried in a small glass first.

The expert's description

Sample 3 cl Foxdenton The Original 48 London Dry Gin 48% is a London Dry Gin distilled with juniper, coriander, angelica, orris root and lime flower oil, and bottled at 48%.

Behind the gin stand the Foxdenton Estate Company and the Radclyffe family, whose estate has been in family hands since 1367. The distillation itself takes place at Thames Distillery in London, where Charles Maxwell worked the recipe out, and the first run came to a modest 1,000 litres.

The Original 48 is the flagship and structurally a very classical London Dry Gin. Juniper, coriander, angelica and orris root form the backbone of the style, and it is the fifth ingredient that sets it apart: oil of lime flower. It lays a soft, honeyed floral tone across the dry pine structure and rounds off the high 48% from the inside.

The strength is no accident. A gin bottled this high carries more of the oil-bearing aromatics through into the distillate, and it holds its shape through ice and tonic instead of thinning out. This 3 cl sample is there so the difference between 48% and a standard 40% gin can be felt before a full bottle is chosen.

Tasting notes

Nose

Clean and traditional. Juniper stands out front and dry, and behind it sits coriander with a warm, bread-like tone alongside the earthy root of angelica. Lime flower arrives last as something sweet and floral.

Palate

Opens with lime-like citrus peel and turns dry quickly. Orris root lays a powdery, almost violet note across the middle, and the strength registers as warmth rather than as sharpness. Lime flower keeps the whole thing from becoming severe.

Finish

Dry and long. The pine tone from the juniper hangs on together with something close to dry hay, and it takes a while before the mouth is clean again.

Specifications

Name: Sample 3 cl Foxdenton The Original 48 London Dry Gin 48%
Producer: Foxdenton Estate Company
Region/Country: England
Type: London Dry Gin
ABV: 48%
Size: 3 CL
Botanicals: Juniper, coriander, angelica, orris root and lime flower oil
Edition: The Original 48
Serving suggestion: With Tonic Water, plenty of ice and a strip of lime peel

Flavour profile

Dry · Juniper-forward · Floral · Spiced · Powerful

Did you know?

The Foxdenton estate has been in the Radclyffe family's hands since 1367, when it came to the line through a marriage. The gin is therefore several centuries younger than the family, and its name is a quiet reminder of that.

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The name comes from a family in Westmorland, the water from a spring at Cartmel in the Lake District, and the distilling happens in London. Gilpins gathers three corners of England into one bottle and bottles the result dry and taut. Here in 3 cl, so the style can be met without opening a full bottle.

The expert's description

Sample 3 cl Gilpins Premium Extra London Dry Gin 47% is an English London Dry Gin distilled in pot stills from eight botanicals and bottled at 47%.

The gin was launched in 2011 by Matthew Gilpin, drawing on his family's roots in Westmorland in the north west of England. Distillation itself takes place at Thames Distillery in London, while spring water from Cartmel in the Lake District brings the strength down before bottling.

Eight botanicals carry the recipe. Juniper leads, as the style demands, but sage and borage are what give Gilpins its own signature. Sage lays down a dry, almost dusty herbal note, and borage pulls towards something green and cool. Lime and bitter orange supply the citrus. The 47% is chosen so that none of it disappears once tonic hits the glass.

London Dry Gin says nothing about geography and everything about method: every botanical goes in during distillation, and nothing may be sweetened or coloured afterwards. Gilpins meets both conditions and happens to be distilled in London as well. This 3 cl bottling exists so you can form an impression first.

Tasting notes

Nose

Juniper straight away, dry and resinous, followed by lime peel and coriander seed. Sage sits behind it as a dry herbal tone and makes the aroma read more garden than fruit bowl.

Palate

Dry and faintly oily across the tongue. Juniper takes up plenty of room, bitter orange cuts a sharp edge, and sage and borage fill the middle with something green. The strength registers as warmth rather than bite.

Finish

Long and dry, with bitter angelica root and a peppery flick. Citrus rings out last and leaves the mouth clean.

Specifications

Name: Sample 3 cl Gilpins Premium Extra London Dry Gin 47%
Distillery: Gilpins
Region/Country: England
Type: London Dry Gin
ABV: 47%
Size: 3 CL
Botanicals: Juniper, sage, borage, lime and bitter orange
Distillation method: Pot still distilled
Serving suggestion: With a neutral Tonic Water and a strip of lime peel

Flavour profile

Dry · Juniper · Herbal · Citrus · Spiced

Did you know?

Borage is known as starflower after its sharp blue petals, and it has spent centuries in English summer cups alongside cucumber and mint. That same herb is what gives Gilpins its cool green breath behind the juniper.

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Hold the bottle up to the light and the colour gives itself away at once: a pale golden tone that comes not from a cask but from saffron. In Huntly, Aberdeenshire, where most bottles contain whisky, someone put the world's most labour-intensive spice into a gin. Here in 3 cl.

The expert's description

Sample 3 cl Indian Summer Duncan Taylor Saffron Infused Gin 46% is a Saffron Infused Gin distilled with juniper, coriander, angelica, orris root, cassia, liquorice, almond, lemon and orange, with saffron added after distillation, and bottled at 46%.

Behind the gin stands Duncan Taylor in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, a house that built its name on Scotch whisky and on casks left to sit for a long time. Indian Summer is the house gin, and the name gestures at saffron's route from the Mediterranean fields eastwards.

The base recipe is classical. Juniper, coriander, angelica and orris root form the backbone, lemon and orange lay in the peel, and cassia, liquorice and almond supply the warm, slightly soft floor. Only afterwards does the unusual part happen: the saffron goes into the finished spirit instead of travelling through the still.

There is a reason for that. Saffron's aroma is fragile and would suffer from the heat of distillation, so infusing it later preserves both the scent and the golden colour. The colour is not added, it comes straight from the spice. The 46% gives the gin enough power to carry the saffron through ice and tonic alike.

Tasting notes

Nose

Saffron sits on top, dry and faintly honeyed, with something close to warm hay. Beneath it lies the classical gin aroma: juniper, angelica and coriander with an exotic turn.

Palate

Orange peel first, then cassia bark and a peppery warmth. Juniper steps forward across the middle with a clear pine note, and the saffron holds all the way through as a dry, almost floral undercurrent. Almond rounds it off softly.

Finish

Medium-long and spiced. Peppercorn and citrus peel linger, and despite the 46% there is no burning edge, only a warm tone settling down slowly.

Specifications

Name: Sample 3 cl Indian Summer Duncan Taylor Saffron Infused Gin 46%
Producer: Duncan Taylor
Region/Country: Huntly, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Type: Saffron Infused Gin
ABV: 46%
Size: 3 CL
Botanicals: Juniper, coriander, angelica, orris root, cassia, liquorice, almond, lemon, orange and saffron
Distillation method: Distilled gin with saffron infused after distillation
Serving suggestion: With Tonic Water, ice and a slice of orange

Flavour profile

Spiced · Citrus · Floral · Dry · Warm

Did you know?

Duncan Taylor was founded in 1938 and started out as a cask trader, buying and sitting on Scotch whisky casks on other people's behalf. Only many decades later did the house begin bottling under its own name, and gin is one of the newer chapters in that story.

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Three friends, a lukewarm gin and tonic in a bar, and a decision to do better. That is where Martin Miller's starts. The spirit is distilled in England and shipped to Iceland, where it meets spring water filtered through lava. Here in 3 cl, so the stronger release can be tasted without opening a full bottle.

The expert's description

Sample 3 cl Martin Millers Westbourne Strength Premium London Dry Gin 45.2% is a London Dry Gin made through two separate distillations of juniper, coriander, angelica, orris root, liquorice, cassia, nutmeg, cinnamon, cucumber, lemon and orange, and bottled at 45.2%.

Martin Miller's was founded in 1999 by Martin Miller, David Bromige and Andreas Versteegh. The idea came out of a disappointing gin and tonic, and the brief was to build the finest gin they could, however awkward that turned out to be. The brand became one of the earliest voices in the wave of premium gin that has since reshaped the whole category.

Westbourne Strength arrived in 2003. Bartenders had asked for a version with more muscle, a gin that would not vanish behind ice, tonic and citrus in a tall glass, and the answer was a bottling at 45.2%.

The technical trick sits in the distillation. Citrus peels run on their own with the heat kept low, while the heavier, earthier botanicals such as angelica, orris root and liquorice get harder treatment in a separate run. The two distillates are married afterwards. It costs time, but it keeps the bright peel notes alive instead of boiling them away.

Finally the spirit travels to Iceland and is cut with spring water from there. That water is very soft, having passed through lava and picked up almost no minerals, and it explains a good part of the rounded mouthfeel. Cucumber lays a cool layer over the juniper and has become the house signature.

Tasting notes

Nose

Juniper straight away, dry and pine-like. A layer of lemon and orange peel follows, and underneath sits something cool and green from the cucumber alongside a trace of nutmeg.

Palate

Strong and dry, yet without sharp edges. Juniper leads, citrus peel cuts through, and coriander and nutmeg lay in a peppery warmth halfway across. Liquorice supplies the floor, and the cucumber cools everything down again.

Finish

Long and dry. Juniper and cinnamon hang on while the citrus slowly withdraws. Right at the end a cool, green note is left sitting on the tongue.

Specifications

Name: Sample 3 cl Martin Millers Westbourne Strength Premium London Dry Gin 45.2%
Producer: Martin Miller's
Region/Country: England
Type: London Dry Gin
ABV: 45.2%
Size: 3 CL
Botanicals: Juniper, coriander, angelica, orris root, liquorice, cassia, nutmeg, cinnamon, cucumber, lemon and orange
Distillation method: Two separate distillations, citrus peel on its own and the remaining botanicals apart from it
Serving suggestion: With Tonic Water, plenty of ice and a thin slice of cucumber

Flavour profile

Juniper-forward · Citrus · Spiced · Cool · Dry

Did you know?

Martin Miller had an entirely different life before the gin. He was the man behind Miller's Antiques Price Guide, the reference work antique dealers around the world reached for, and he ran a hotel in London long before juniper caught his attention.

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Jes and Gitte Mosgaard started with whisky and quickly learned that casks need years. Gin arrived in the meantime, distilled from the same organic raw material and driven by the same impatient curiosity. Here in 3 cl for anyone who wants to know how a Danish whisky distillery approaches gin.

The expert's description

Sample 3 cl Mosgaard New Organic Dry Gin 40% is a Danish Organic Dry Gin distilled with juniper and fresh citrus peel and bottled at 40%.

Mosgaard was founded in 2015 on Sydfyn in Denmark, where Jes and Gitte Mosgaard built the distillery around a single condition: everything had to be certified organic, from the grain to the finished contents of the bottle. The ambition was Scottish craft with a Nordic voice, and that attitude carries straight into the gin. In 2025 production moved to Kolding under new ownership.

The style is dry and restrained rather than perfumed. Juniper is allowed to stand out, and around it sit fresh citrus peels and a calm spice note that lends the gin a hint of sweetness without any sugar being added. At 40% it is softer than the strongest gins on the shelf, which makes it easier to drink without tonic.

A distillery working with both whisky and gin thinks differently about its raw material. The base spirit comes from the same organic grain foundation, and that gives the gin a body you rarely meet in fully neutral industrial gin. This 3 cl bottling makes it possible to try the style before committing to a larger bottle.

Tasting notes

Nose

Clean and bright, with juniper and grated citrus peel. Behind it sits something soft and grainy, plus a puff of spice that recalls a freshly opened spice drawer.

Palate

A gentle opening of citrus and lightly spiced sweetness, which comes from the botanicals rather than from sugar. Juniper steps clearly forward in the middle, and the 40% keeps the whole thing measured and drinkable.

Finish

Long and fresh, carried by the citrus fruit. The spice fades slowly and leaves a dry, clean feeling on the palate.

Specifications

Name: Sample 3 cl Mosgaard New Organic Dry Gin 40%
Distillery: Mosgaard
Region/Country: Denmark
Type: Danish Organic Dry Gin
ABV: 40%
Size: 3 CL
Serving suggestion: With Tonic Water and a slice of fresh lime, or over ice with squeezed lime

Flavour profile

Fresh · Citrus · Spiced · Dry · Soft

Did you know?

Mosgaard has been named best Danish distillery at the ISC spirits competition in Berlin. The award went to a house then less than ten years old and run by two people who originally came from entirely different trades.

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A Swedish house that built its name on aquavit turns to juniper. Fennel and anise come along from the other end of the portfolio, and blood orange settles over them: dark, faintly sweet, carrying the bitterness that ripe orange peel always has. Three centilitres of it.

The expert's description

Sample 3 cl O.P. Anderson Blood Orange Organic Gin 40% is a Swedish Organic Gin distilled with juniper, blood orange, citrus peel, coriander, fennel and anise and bottled at 40%.

O.P. Anderson Distillery is one of those names every Swede recognises, though most recognise it from the aquavit. Blood Orange is the house stepping into the gin category, made with organic ingredients throughout. The colour is distinctly orange in the bottle.

What is interesting is what the house brought with it. Fennel and anise belong to the aquavit toolkit and rarely appear in gin, but here they sit beneath the blood orange and give it a warm, faintly liquorice-like floor. Coriander and citrus peel sharpen everything up, and juniper holds the direction so the bottle stays a gin rather than sliding into a sweetened orange spirit.

Blood orange differs from ordinary orange by being darker and less sweet, with a bitter edge in the peel. That edge is what makes the gin useful in a Negroni, where it can hold its ground against both campari and vermouth. This 3 cl bottling is there so you can taste the style before choosing a full bottle.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh blood orange straight away, juicy and with peel in it. Behind that sits a sweetish note of anise and a trace of fennel, while juniper only shows up once the glass has stood for a moment.

Palate

Orange leads and fills the mouth with ripe fruit and a little bitter peel. Juniper and citrus report next, and the spice arrives last: fennel and anise, warm and lightly sweet, like a distant memory of aquavit.

Finish

Orange hangs on longest. Underneath it lies a dry, liquorice-like tone from the anise that slowly dries the mouth out again.

Specifications

Name: Sample 3 cl O.P. Anderson Blood Orange Organic Gin 40%
Distillery: O.P. Anderson Distillery
Region/Country: Sweden
Type: Organic Gin
ABV: 40%
Size: 3 CL
Botanicals: Juniper, blood orange, citrus peel, coriander, fennel and anise
Edition: Blood Orange
Serving suggestion: With Tonic Water, orange peel and a sprig of rosemary, or in a Negroni

Flavour profile

Blood orange · Citrus · Spiced · Anise-led · Fresh

Did you know?

The strong orange colour in the bottle all but vanishes the moment tonic water hits the glass. The drink turns pale gold, while the smell of blood orange carries on unchanged.

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The name points to Paris, yet the mint and lemon balm grow a few steps from the still house. This family has been distilling fruit since 1859 and treats its gin with the same patience as an old mirabelle brandy. Three centilitres is all it takes to work out whether the French approach appeals.

The expert's description

Sample 3 cl Paris De Miscault Dry Gin 44% is a French Dry Gin distilled with juniper, fresh peppermint, lemon balm, allspice and ginger and bottled at 44%.

Behind the bottle stands René de Miscault, a family house that has distilled since 1859 and passed the trade from father to son. Most of the range is fruit brandy, some forty of them, and the house also makes absinth. Gin is the youngest branch on the tree, built on the same principle: the plants must be recognisable in the glass.

The peppermint and the lemon balm are grown at the distillery itself, and they explain the whole fresh character of this gin. Where an English gin usually pushes citrus peel forward, Paris works with green herbs at the top. Underneath sit allspice and ginger, laying in a dry, warm spice note while juniper holds the direction. The 44% gives the bottling body without turning it sharp.

The producer recommends the gin well chilled and neat, which says a good deal about how it is put together. Cold tightens the herbs and makes the ginger easier to read. This 3 cl bottling is a shortcut into a French herbal gin without clearing shelf space for it.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh peppermint first, close to crushed leaves between the fingers, then lemon balm and a calm juniper. The spice sits underneath and shows as a trace of ginger.

Palate

A soft opening of mint and citrus peel, quickly taken over by allspice and a warm ginger tone. Juniper is present throughout but carries rather than dominates. The middle stays dry, with no sweetness at all.

Finish

Cool and long. Mint settles on the palate while the ginger leaves a gently burning tail and a peppery note that lets go slowly.

Specifications

Name: Sample 3 cl Paris De Miscault Dry Gin 44%
Distillery: René de Miscault
Region/Country: France
Type: French Dry Gin
ABV: 44%
Size: 3 CL
Botanicals: Juniper, peppermint, lemon balm, allspice and ginger
Serving suggestion: Well chilled and neat in a small glass, or with a neutral Tonic Water

Flavour profile

Fresh · Herbal · Mint · Spiced · Dry

Did you know?

René de Miscault runs its own spirits museum in Lapoutroie in Alsace. It opened in 1986 inside a converted coaching inn and holds old copper stills along with a collection of ten thousand miniature bottles.

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The village of Penderyn sits against the Brecon Beacons, where mist hangs in the valleys long after sunrise. The distillery is known for bringing Welsh whisky back to life, yet a side door stands open onto a spice cupboard that smells more of the Levant than of Wales. Here in 3 cl.

The expert's description

Sample 3 cl Penderyn Brecon Botanicals Special Edition Gin 43% is a Welsh gin distilled in small batches from pure grain spirit and selected botanicals, bottled at 43%.

Penderyn Distillery opened in 2000 in the village of the same name in south Wales, close to the Brecon Beacons national park. The house is best known for its single malt whisky, but the Brecon range of gins has run alongside it for years and has collected a long line of medals at international competitions.

Brecon Botanicals is the spiced expression in the range. The juniper is soft and earthy rather than sharp, and above it sit dried herbs, orange and lemon peel and a clear note of saffron. Further in come bergamot, clove oil and cinnamon, while the finish rides on cassia bark. This is a gin that leans towards the spice cupboard instead of the citrus press.

At 43% it has the strength to hold its shape in a drink without turning sharp, and the distillery suggests fresh mint and cucumber ice cubes to go with it. This 3 cl bottling covers one full run through the style before any decision about a whole bottle.

Tasting notes

Nose

Soft juniper and dried herbs, then orange and lemon peel. Saffron sits behind it with its faintly medicinal, floral scent.

Palate

Herbal and earthy, with juniper as the foundation. The spices arrive through the middle as clove oil and cinnamon, and a thread of bergamot gives a perfumed edge that leans towards Earl Grey.

Finish

Medium in length and spiced. Cassia bark and saffron hang on while the citrus peel dries the palate at the very end.

Specifications

Name: Sample 3 cl Penderyn Brecon Botanicals Special Edition Gin 43%
Distillery: Penderyn
Region/Country: Wales
Type: Welsh Gin
ABV: 43%
Size: 3 CL
Edition: Special Edition
Serving suggestion: With Tonic Water, fresh mint and cucumber ice cubes

Flavour profile

Herbal · Spiced · Saffron · Citrus · Soft

Did you know?

Penderyn released its first whisky on 1 March 2004, St David's Day, the Welsh national day. It was the first whisky distilled in Wales in more than a hundred years.

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