Koval Barrel Aged Gin 47%
Tasted: Dec 2016
Nose: A bit hit of all encompassing toasty French oak. Hints of pepper and juniper follow but it’s all about the oak!
Palate: Like the nose it’s dominated by the toasty and creamy oak, but there’s loads of juniper as well.
Finish: Long an oaky.
Conclusion: New French oak or ex-Chardonnay casks? Either way the oak is far too dominant.
Bainbridge Heritage Organic Douglas Fir Gin 45%
Tasted: Oct 2014
Nose: Pungent and feinty. Vinegar and ‘off the still’ notes dominate.
Palate: Young and feinty. Extremely vinegary. Where’s the botanicals?
Finish: Hmm, do I detect rose petals amongst the vinegary notes?
Conclusion: I really hope this sample has been contaminated because if is awful!
Aviation American Gin 42%
The base spirit is distilled from rye and it uses the following botanicals: Juniper, Lavender, Anise, Sarsaparilla, Orange peel and Cardamom.Tasted: Oct 2014
Nose: A little soapy with lavender, lemon, angelica along with a touch of liquorice and wood spices. Quite dense and I have to say the spirit character is a little on the meaty side!
Palate: Glacialy clean and fresh (no meatiness here!) with buckets of lemon and lime. Subtle juniper and light sweet, spices follow.
Finish: Medium length with the bitter spices coming through.
Conclusion: An unusual nose to say the least.
Aviation American Gin 42%
Re-Tasted: Mar 2017
The nose is quite floral with subtle lavender and citrus notes. The juniper is quite sweet but overall the sweet/ citrus balance is good. However there is a slightly must spice character.
The palate displays more of the musty spice and earth. There’s also more juniper character with hints lavender and sweet citrus. Pleasantly spiced finish, although that mustiness is off putting
Blaum Brothers Gin 45%
Tasted: Oct 2014
Nose: Pungent and intense. Oily spirit character mingles with pepper, aniseed, liquorice and a touch of juniper.
Palate: Full and very aniseedy. Hints of juniper and coriander but to be honest the palate is marred by a burnt biscuit character.
Finish: Long and very junipery with a mouth-watering citrus finish, but a very dry after-taste.
Conclusion: Great nose, simplistic, spoilt palate and maybe a little too alcoholic?
Yukon Shine Aura Gin 40%
Vapour infused with 12 botanicals including fresh grapefruit, lemon and lime.
Tasted: Nov/ Dec 2013
Pungent and oily aromas with hints juniper, earth, vanilla and citrus. The emphasis is however firmly on the sweet cereally spirit character.
The palate is soft and a little watery with sugar coated citrus, lightly creamy vanilla and juniper. Like the nose the palate displays plenty of oily spirit character. Good creamy finish with a serious peppery spiciness. Conclusion: Probably not for the purists as it is more spirit and less gin!
Brandon’s Gin 46%
Vapour infused Juniper, coriander, angelica, cinnamon, lemon peel zest, orange peel zest, anise.
Tasted: June 2013
A very fresh and citrusy nose. Exceedingly lemony with hints of juniper and angelica. The spices are very subtle but they do have a lovely earthy character. With time a light, toasted corn note appears.
Dry, fresh and citrusy on the palate with subtle notes of juniper and coriander. There is plenty of angelica on the middle and it becomes quite intense and spicy! The alcohol definitely gives it a bite! Good length with the anise coming through on the finish.
Brandons Barrel Reserve Gin 46%
Batch 4/ Btl: Winter 2015/ Tasted: Dec 2015
Considering its deep, dark colour the oak is relatively subtle and it adds a lovely toasty vanilla note to the slightly mentholated herbs and juniper.
Like the nose the oak is subtle. Gently vanilla’d with lightly mentholated mint, juniper, liquorice and a touch of coriander. Lovely leafyness and a long, dry, wood spice and peanut finish with the sweet juniper returning.
Rock Town Barrel Aged Gin 46%
Tasted: Feb 2015
Pungent juniper aromas with citrus, cinnamon, coriander seed and nutmeg. Quite herbal with a very subtle oak character. Lightly smoked and pleasantly balanced.
The palate is oily and spicy – dusty cinnamon and coriander along with building juniper and herbal notes. The oak is a little tannic with some toasted vanilla. Good, spicy finish with a little bitterness coming through but the herbal, juniper and anise notes linger.
No 209 Gin 46%
Distilled by the No209 distillery in San Francisco
Four times column distilled Midwestern corn using pure snow melt from the Sierra-Nevada mountains.
Botanicals – Juniper, Bergamot Orange, Lemon Peel, Cardamom Pods, Cassia Bark, Angelica Root, Coriander Seeds
Tasted: July 2013
Quite floral and citrusy aromas with a prominent, leafy bergamot note along with subtle juniper and hints of woody, coriander spice.
The palate is soft and subtle, opening with a floral lemon and sweet bergamot. Like the nose the juniper is very subtle and although the palate is fresh it also has a lightly oiled character with the coriander coming through on the finish. Long, with the lightly oiled citrus notes lingering. Pleasant if a little straightforward.
New Amsterdam Gin 40%
Tasted Nov/ Dec 2013
Distilled by the New Amsterdam Spirits Company in America. Ingredients used for this gin include citrus peel and juniper.
Wow, now that’s a citrusy nose! Sherbet lemons and sugar coated lemon rind! Lightly herbal with hints of dry spice and developing juniper.
The palate opens crisp and clean but becomes very confected with sugar coated lemon. Maybe a little too sweet for me. Long and sweet with lingering lemon.
Conclusion: One for those with a sweet tooth.
Liberator Old Tom 45.2%
Valentine Distilling Detroit, USA
Aged in American Oak for 2 years
Tasted Jan 2014
A big, bold and boisterous nose of lavender, violets, mentholated honey, aniseed and dusty wood spices. There’s not much room left for the juniper!
The palate is gentler than the nose. Quite woody with the mentholated honey dominating along with a touch of vanilla, bitter juniper and coriander. Building intensity from the alcohol. The finish is dry and alcoholic with those mentholated notes lingering. Conclusion: its gin but not as we know it! – Impressive spirit though!
Liberator Old Tom 45.2%
Re-Tasted Feb 2014
Pungent and grassy aromas with plenty of sweet, honeyed citrus, menthol, pepper, herbs, celery(?), coriander and spicy wood notes. Not much juniper but very characterful.
Full with no shortage of oak on the palate, along with mentholated honey and aniseed. There’s bucketfuls of pepper and green wood notes. A little tart citrus tries to balance the oak. Long and peppery with the mentholated notes lingering. A tad soapy at the death. Conclusion: Not one for the purists!
Leopolds Small Batch Gin 40%
Tasted: Aug 2008
A very interesting nose which combines the crisp, citrus aromas of London Dry with a heavier, oilier Plymouth like note. There is definitely no shortage of Juniper aromas here!
The palate is much like the nose with a slight whisky-esque note. It is slightly oilier and less citrusy than the nose would suggest, but it is very smooth and lovely neat.
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 