New Generation Gins

[gethin]

Spoke to the Blackstones people at LIWSF yesterday - they reckon the 2006 gin will be available around August . They are indeed planning to use seaweeds among the botanicals and also spinach ! They are starting to pick the 2006 botanicals in the next week or so. (Spring arrives late in the far, far North).

I also had a chance to try Zuidam (both their Dry Gin and their Genever). They make the dry gin by distilling off batches of grain spirit with each of the botanicals seperately and then blending the resulting distillates . (They had little bottles of each of the seperate distillates on the stand, although unfortunately they wouldnt let anyone taste them . They did let me sniff them though !)

It seems a lot of hard work for a result that is not not noticeably different to more conventionally made gins - its main characteristic seemed to me to be sweetness

(though this is based on a small tasting of rather warm gin after tasting several dozens of wines and a variety of odd spirits ranging from a Tea based liqueur (Tiffin) to Miclo's Eau de Vie de Pain D'epices by way of some (rather nice) nettle flavoured vodka.

The Genever was good though.

Gethin

[ned]

I had the good fortune to taste Bendistillery's Desert Gin at the Zig Zag Cafe on a recent trip to Seattle. Delicious and direct stuff this northwest gin. Very forward and distinctive aromatics. I look forward to getting my hands on a bottle for some experimentation.

. . . not that I think I could come up with anything better than Murray is producing at the very fabulous Zig Zag.

[TallDrinkOfWater]

I had the good fortune to taste Bendistillery's Desert Gin at the Zig Zag Cafe on a recent trip to Seattle.  Delicious and direct stuff this northwest gin.  Very forward and distinctive aromatics.  I look forward to getting my hands on a bottle for some experimentation. 

. . . not that I think I could come up with anything better than Murray is producing at the very fabulous Zig Zag.

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Do you know which you had? Desert Juniper Gin and Cascade Mountain Gin are two different beasts, despite coming from the same distiller. Both good, though I've never actually done a simultaneous side-by-side, so would have a tough time adding anything beyond the general tasting notes on Bendistillery's site.

[ned]

Do you know which you had? Desert Juniper Gin and Cascade Mountain Gin are two different beasts, despite coming from the same distiller. Both good, though I've never actually done a simultaneous side-by-side, so would have a tough time adding anything beyond the general tasting notes on Bendistillery's site.

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It was the Desert Gin. I must have accidentally edited that out of the 1st post. Haven't had a chance to taste the other.

[gethin]

Were any other UK based e-gulleteers at Bar06 yesterday and able to sample Gabriel Boudier's new Saffron Gin ?

I thought it pleasant enough but not overly exiting, closer to a young genever than to English gin. It reminded me quite a bit of a (presumably saffron flavoured) boiled sweet that an elderly friend of my grandmothers used to dispense when we visited her as children 40 years ago.

Its certainly far more saffrony than Old Raj, and has a deep gold colour rather than the slight yellow tint that OR has.

Gethin

Edited June 7, 2006 by gethin (log)

[daisy17]

I was able to try a little bit of both Blackwood's Vintage Dry and Vintage 60 a little while ago.  Very interesting spirits, and a little hard to describe.  Very good.  They certainly have an unusual flavor/aroma profile for gin.  The Vintage 60, I thought, had some suggestions of the earthiness of fresh cracked pepper or, as someone else suggested, perhaps grains of paradise (neither of which appears to be a botanical actually used in the spirit). 

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I should have guessed that you all would have been onto this already . . . tasted Blackwood's Vintage Dry Gin last night at a bar in London and absolutely loved it. I really know nothing about gin, so I don't have much to add about the botanicals and whatnot other than that it was pretty damned awesome. (Even Sam said it was hard to describe, so maybe I'm off the hook.)

Edited August 10, 2006 by daisy17 (log)

[eje]

Thanks for the writeup daisy17! Sounds promising. Now if I can only convince a liquor store around here to carry some...

Speaking of new Gins, has anyone tried Aviation Gin? It is made in Oregon and according to the label, they are trying to make it in a style close to a Jonge Genever.

I'm intrigued; but, not quite enough to splurge without some prior information.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Just stumbled onto this thread. Great that others have discovered 209 as I've been a fan for a while. Also, I tend to go through a lot of No. 10 for my dry martinis.

One that we just tried for the first time was Brokers's which, at 94 proof, was a tad excessive for martinis. Kevin was playing around in the kitchen with it and stumbled on a reasonable summer cocktail that works with the Broker's; a combination of brewed tangerine tea, a little simple syrup, a jigger or Broker's... He has been playing with a blender so he blended the amount and added two drops of Grenandine for color and we were quite thrilled with this chilled specialty (getting tired of blending fruit juices with rum).

On the lookout for more specialty gins and was shown a rather expensive ($60) bottle that is made with saffron. Sorry, can't recall the name...

[slkinsey]

Hmmm. I don't know about Broker's for Martinis (I've never used it for that purpose). But I wouldn't think that the proof makes all that much difference, so long as one uses a decent amount of vermouth. Tanqueray, at 94.6 proof, is the standard Martini gin for Pegu Club's Fitty-Fitty -- and I like it at as much as 4:1.

I think the saffron gin would be Cadenhead's Old Raj (packing a whopping 110 proof, I believe).

[daisy17]

I should have guessed that you all would have been onto this already . . . tasted Blackwood's Vintage Dry Gin last night at a bar in London and absolutely loved it.  I really know nothing about gin, so I don't have much to add about the botanicals and whatnot other than that it was pretty damned awesome.  (Even Sam said it was hard to describe, so maybe I'm off the hook.)

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does anyone know where to get a bottle in ny?

[Carolyn Tillie]

Hmmm.  I don't know about Broker's for Martinis (I've never used it for that purpose).  But I wouldn't think that the proof makes all that much difference, so long as one uses a decent amount of vermouth.  Tanqueray, at 94.6 proof, is the standard Martini gin for Pegu Club's Fitty-Fitty -- and I like it at as much as 4:1.

I think the saffron gin would be Cadenhead's Old Raj (packing a whopping 110 proof, I believe).

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Good point about the Tanqueray -- that part didn't dawn on me. I think the Broker's is just a bit too strong to make a good martini (for my taste anyway).

And you are right about the Cadenhead... would love to taste it, but not sure I'm ready to put out that kinda cash to find out!

[KatieLoeb]

Anyone tried the Baffert's gin or the Baffert's Mint Gin, which I have a sample bottle of in my posession?

I'll go try mix something up with it and I'll report back. I'm thinking minted gin + pineapple might be good.

edited to add:

2.5 oz. Baffert's Mint Gin

.5 oz. Giammona Pineapple syrup

1 barspoon fresh lime juice

A tasty and refreshing cocktail. The Baffert's Mint gin (and I suspect their regular gin as well) has definitely been formulated with the vodka drinker in mind. Nonetheless, this drink is a winner and would probably sell well in a commercial environment.

[Nathan]

Interesting thread.

I've been a gin drinker all my life but never realized there was such a gamut of specialty gins.

I've always used Tanqueray with tonic and either Tanqueray or Plymouth (cause it's cheap) for cocktails.

Martinis have always been Sapphire or Old Raj....looks like I need to find some others. 209 or Junipero sound fascinating.

btw, maraschino in an Aviation? I use kirsch....what does maraschino liquor do for the taste?

[eje]

[...]

btw, maraschino in an Aviation?  I use kirsch....what does maraschino liquor do for the taste?

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Do you add sugar or simple syrup, then?

Maraschino is a liqueur made from wood aged and sweetened cherry brandy (kirsch).

I was recently traveling in a state where I could find no Maraschino liqueur, so substituted Clear Creek plum brandy mixed with simple syrup. It was actually not that far from Maraschino liqueur in flavor.

I was going to substitute sweetened Kirsch(wasser); but, the only brand I could find was Le Roux. It was one of the most horrible tasting things I have had recently. Cherry cough drops dissolved in kerosene.

[Nathan]

no, but I detest sweetness in my drinks. prefer acidity.

[slkinsey]

btw, maraschino in an Aviation?  I use kirsch....what does maraschino liquor do for the taste?

eG Forums threads on. . .

Maraschino liqueur

The Aviation

Maraschino is a liqueur made from wood aged and sweetened cherry brandy (kirsch).

I wouldn't say that's exactly correct... Maraschino involves a special process in which the fruit is separated from the stems and pits, which are then distilled like grappa and the resultant liquor reincorporated at a later stage with the liquor distilled from the fruit. (More in the Maraschino liqueur thread).

[Sneakeater]

I was recently traveling in a state where I could find no Maraschino liqueur,

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Drink-addled?

[Sneakeater]

(At the end of last night, I myself was in a state where I couldn't find my key.)

[eje]

I was recently traveling in a state where I could find no Maraschino liqueur,

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Drink-addled?

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Well, Wisconsin, actually.

Though, after a couple of my father-in-law's very stiff and tasty Overholt Old-Fashioneds it's definitely better if I don't find my keys.

Nathan, what proportions do you use for your Aviation?

[Nathan]

see the Aviation thread.

if you're in Milwaukee, ask the bartenders at Elsa's where to find maraschino liquor...they're the only ones who might know.

[Lan4Dawg]

we just had a delivery of New Amsterdam Gin fr/ the Gallo folks (supposedly the first "non-grape" product they have ever produced). I found a couple of single serving bottles for a taste test when I get home but was hoping to hear some thing about it fr/ any one who has tried it. I did notice that it was significantly lower proof--80--than most other gins.

[Lan4Dawg]

The New Amsterdam was not bad but some what too "citrusy" for my tastes. It reminded me some of Tanqueray 10 but not quite as "refined" if you will. It would probably work better in a gin/tonic than a martini--at least for my tastes.

Fuss said she liked it better than Beefeater but not nearly as well as Broker's or our usual Bombay.

[slkinsey]

Some more info from friends: Blackwood's gin should hit the NYC market sometime in September/October.

[gethin]

Were any other UK based e-gulleteers at Bar06  yesterday and able to sample Gabriel Boudier's new Saffron Gin ?

I thought it pleasant enough but not overly exiting, closer to a young genever than to English gin. 

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Having been launched in the UK back in June, this is finally beginning to appear in retail outlets in London. I bought a bottle yesterday (at the Whisky Shop at Vinopolis if any other London based people want to track it down).

Having had a chance to taste it in normal conditions rather than the small,warm sample at the trade fair, I was more taken with it.

With tonic, it was somewhat reminiscent of Suze or Aveze , though not quite as bitter and with a really distinct saffron note. (I don't think this was just a colour thing, though the bright yellow might have influenced our perception that we were drinking gentian).

Served on the rocks it was both saffrony and citrussy (and didn't remind of Genever at all ). The flavours don't have much length, but it was certainly a pleasant drink .

Having taken the bottle to dinner with non cocktail obesssives, I wasn't able to play aound with it in cocktails, but I think it would work well with orange flavours (I'd have liked to try it out in an Orange Blossom for instance).

We did stick a decent slug of it in our mussles along with some white wine and it gave them a nice hint of saffron.

Anyone else been using it in cocktails ?

gethin

[KatieLoeb]

Interesting article about Bluecoat Gin in the local paper a few weeks back:

Bluecoat Aims for the Top Shelf