Sample 3 cl Boigin Italian Gin 40% Italian Gin

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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Frequently asked questions about Sample 3 cl Boigin Italian Gin 40%

What makes Boigin an Italian gin?

The herbs come off the Sardinian scrub rather than from an international spice list. Myrtle, mastic, sage and helichrysum give a resinous, spiced profile in which juniper has stepped back. The style is usually called Mediterranean gin and departs clearly from the dry English school.

What are lentischio and helichrysum?

Two wild plants from the Sardinian scrub. Lentischio is mastic and contributes resin along with a dry, pine-like tone, while helichrysum is the everlasting flower of the dunes, laying in a warm and faintly curry-like spice note. Together they give Boigin its scent of a southern summer.

How is it served the Italian way?

In a large balloon glass with plenty of ice and a neutral tonic. Italians tend to drink their Gin and Tonic right through a meal rather than as a welcome drink, and Boigin is made for exactly that role. Garnish with lemon peel or a single olive rather than lime.

What food goes with it?

Salty, grilled food from the coast. Grilled sardines, squid, olives and salted almonds meet the resin and the sage without drowning them. Against heavy meat dishes the gin turns out too slight.

Does Boigin work in a Negroni?

Yes, and it changes the drink noticeably. The herbs and resin settle in under the bitter Campari and make the Negroni spicier and less citrus-driven than it would be with a classic London Dry Gin. Stir it cold and serve with a thick strip of orange peel.

Where is Boigin made?

At Silvio Carta in Zeddiani in the province of Oristano on Sardinia. The distillery draws juniper and citrus from the Sinis peninsula and from its own botanical garden, so the distance from field to bottle stays short.

How do you work out whether you like a Mediterranean gin?

By tasting one beside a dry English gin. The difference between resin and herbs on one side and sharp juniper and citrus peel on the other becomes obvious the moment the glasses stand side by side. See the complete line-up of Whisky Samples.