Riga Black Balsam Gin

Riga Black Balsam is Latvia's national drink, a bitter composed of no fewer than 24 different ingredients, from birch shoots and raspberries to ginger and black peppercorns. The blend rests in large oak casks, where time shapes its characteristic strength and light bitter-sweetness. It's a bottle that literally carries an entire nation's taste memory.

Riga Black Balsam Cross Keys Single Batch Dry Gin 70 cl 41%

Item no.: 22227865479-1106-19727860

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
1pcs.
36,00EUR

About Riga Black Balsam Gin

Riga Black Balsam is Latvia's national drink, a bitter composed of no fewer than 24 different ingredients, including birch shoots, raspberries, ginger, black peppercorns, peppermint, lemon leaves and honey. The blend rests in large oak casks, where it is allowed to "settle" for a long time to bring out its characteristic strength and light bitter-sweetness. For newcomers it's an exciting, spiced introduction to the Baltic bitters tradition, while connoisseurs value its versatility, both as a digestif and as a cocktail ingredient.

History & Background

Riga Black Balsam traces its roots back to the 18th century, when the recipe was reportedly developed by a Riga pharmacist as a medicinal elixir for various ailments. During the Soviet era the drink became a fixture of Latvian identity and was exported across the Eastern Bloc, and legend has it that Catherine the Great herself once used it as medicine. Today Riga Black Balsam is still made to the secret original recipe and is regarded as one of Latvia's most recognizable national symbols.

Production & Style

24 ingredients, including birch shoots, raspberry, ginger, black peppercorns, peppermint and lemon leaves, are blended and aged in oak casks, where the characteristic bitter-sweetness develops over time.

Signature Style

Bitter, Herbal, Complex
Dark, herbal bitterness with notes of ginger and peppermint, softened by a light sweetness from honey and cask ageing.

Facts

Producer	Riga Black Balsam
Founded	1752
Pronounced	REE-ga Black Bal-sam
Region	Riga
Country	Latvia
Owner	Amber Beverage Group
Botanicals	Incl. birch buds, raspberries, peppermint, wormwood, ginger, sweet flag, lemon balm, lime blossom, oak bark, St John's wort and bitter orange peel (24 ingredients in total)
Strength	45%
Official website	rigablack.com

Did You Know?

Riga Black Balsam has historically been used as a kind of folk medicine in Latvia, long before it became a fixture of the country's bar and cocktail culture.

Like Riga Black Balsam Gin? You should also try:

Det Norske Brenneri Gin and Four Pillars Gin.

Riga Black Balsam Gin

Expert's description

Tasting notes

Nose

Palate

Finish

Specifications

Flavour profile