Day 20 - (Belated Birthday) Berliner Brandstifter Berlin Dry Gin

FINALLY - a gin website that isn't completely up itself (one might perhaps stereotype and say that is typical of a German company). You land on the main page and pretty much immediately get tasting notes. However, sadly I can't copy them over, so here they are from GinFoundry.com

On the nose, the gin gives off a bright floral, fruity sweetness. There is an almost red berry richness to the smell; it’s unusual, but certainly inviting. The familiar aroma that is somewhere between raspberries and Pear Drop candy sends evocative summer time memories, yet is equally as hard to place as those hazy memories of yesteryear. To taste, juniper is not the big, booming dominant botanical, making this a much more modern interpretation of gin than purists may allow for. The sweetness that comes through on the nose translates to the tongue, while the floral elements bring a jammy sweetness – as though the flowers were left to stew for some time. Juniper-laced spice quickly comes along to sweep the sweetness up, though the two elements never really integrate fully, rather they tumble about the tongue, taking their turns to rule.

I can get a little of the sweetness the GinFoundry reviewer mentioned - and the pear drop taste does actually come through when the gin is neat. A really smooth taste too -  very pleasant! £47.85/70 cl (£68.36/L) isn't cheap - but actually I would definitely consider getting this one on the neat flavour alone.

All these flavours are heightened and emphasised when added to tonic - it's like the quinine is balanced out a little and softened by the gin whilst also highlighting the sweeter notes. A real favourite and I will definitely be looking out for this one again!

Days 18 and 22: Hernö Sloe Gin and Fifty-Eight Gin (plus Edinburgh Gin's Christmas Edition)

Hernö Sloe Gin

A Swedish Gin company, that have won Gin Producer of the Year several years running, Hernö do not actually advertise the sloe gin on the landing page of their website (which is otherwise one of the easiest to navigate). 

The general practice of the distillery is to date each bottle they produce and number it - as well as bearing a signature on the label - so this presumably go to explain (along with the many prestigious awards won by the company) why this Sloe Gin is a little more expensive than the only other example in the calendar at £38.95/50cl (£77.90/L).

However, I have to say that this gin really does deliver an excellent deep flavour - with just a touch of the honey they use to sweeten it a little. A very good sloe gin - the closest I've ever had commercially to a home-made one - but with rather more refinement. Definitely one to get for the cupboard if you don't drink it all in one sitting!

Fifty-Eight Gin

What a surprise - a website that isn't actually too high on the arse-factor - it looks pretty, but doesn't take 5000 clicks to make it to the botanical information.

Tasting notes from their 'signature serves' section (but the botanicals are listed on the main page).

Our gin is characterised by its pungent aromas of juniper, candied ginger, zesty lemon, coriander, cubeb pepper, and ending with a superbly clean, soft mouthfeel.  

Quite pleasant, with a spicy aftertaste when neat, the flavour of this one is possibly a bit too subtle when tonic is added. The website offers a few cocktail ideas (all of which are neat) so it does seem to be one that is better left to its own devices or over ice.

It's a nice rounded flavour - I'm sure very good in a martini. But at £34.75 for a 50cl (£69.50/L) I'm not sure I would personally leap at keeping it in the cupboard as I'm not a huge cocktail drinker. However, definitely one of the nicer ones in the calendar selection to drink on its own.

AND FOR AN ADDED BONUS ... Edinburgh Gin's Christmas Edition

This annual Christmas edition from one of my home (Edinburgh obviously) distilleries is a gin you can sometimes get a wee taste of on their tour. It's definitely NOT one to drown in tonic - it's a very subtle flavour with tonnes of orange to it. A splash of mixer is enough to loosen the flavour, or possibly better just served over ice. One to keep for special visitors - but rather scrummy - and generally about £35 for 70cl (£50/L) when you can get it, so not one that breaks the bank. Plus who could resist a Christmas gin flavoured with Frankincense and Myrrh? This was one of the gins I was drinking on Christmas day - so I thought it should get a look in!

Merry Ginmas!!!

So some statistics for the Ginvent Doubters!

The cost of the Ginvent calendar (before postage) was £124.95 This does not of course account for the price of tonic water.

24 x Bombay and Sapphire @ Wetherspoons (calculated from their mobile app) would cost £95.76 (but then you only get 25ml - not a huge difference each day - but adds up to 120 ml or nearly 5 more G&Ts). 29 would come to £115.71

More on the level of the gins included - 6 Gin Tastings at OneSquare Edinburgh (which include 4 gins each time) would cost £177

Working out the actual price per dram (as divided from the price of the bottles) comes to £45.86 - of course the very last gin is not actually available outside of the calendar so I did an average of the prices throughout.

The cost of buying a bottle of each of the gins in the calendar (not including postage) would be £940.52

Now, it may be cheaper to go out each night and have a G&T (even accounting for the 5 extras) - but you wouldn't ever get the variety. Also, all of the gins are considerably more expensive than Bombay Sapphire anyway - which would only be £20.28 using the same calculations as I did per dram of the actual gins. This represents an 470% markup - which on the same calculations would mean the calendar would cost £261.40 - and I definitely did not spend £140 on tonic!

As a way of trying lots of quite rare and expensive gin for not too bad a price - I definitely recommend the calendar option!

Day 17 and 19 - Pink Pepper Gin and Sibling

Completely out of order now ... but struggling onwards ;-) I have a scheduled post about the relative cost of the calendar vs going to a bar for a G&T every day that will appear tomorrow ... the rest of the calendar will just have to wait!

Pink Pepper Gin

The website for this one specifically recommends drinking this one neat or over ice by preference:

Pink Pepper Gin has been designed to be an entirely unique, intense and aromatic gin ­ one which will age and evolve both in the bottle and in the glass. When the bottle is young, or when diluted or chilled ­ fresher, spicy notes of pink pepper, juniper and cardamom are prominent. Over time, however, the liquid evolves and warms up ­ allowing notes of patisserie; vanilla, tonka and honey to come to the forefront. On the palate the gin is full­-bodied and intensely aromatic, thus it is perfect for sipping or in cocktails.

Really didn't disappoint on the spicy nose - and the taste is very rounded in its spicyness. Wish a few icecubes slowly melting in it, it goes cloudy - but really releases the vanilla and honey flavours (I can't really comment on the tonka bean, because I've never had one).

A very very different gin experience - but actually one of the real gems in this calendar.

At £45.91 on master of malt for a 70cl bottle (£65.59/L) it's on the expensive end - but definitely one to try if you get the chance! 

Sibling Gin

This is deffo not a favourite - tasted far too chemically neat, and didn't get any better with tonic.  Yet another over-pretentious website, with far too much emphasis on 'our story' rather than on the actual gin. Can't really pick up any botanticals at all in this one - and at £33.75/70cl (£48.21/L) I wouldn't recommend trying it. Almost like my bottle just had vodka in ...

The Mystery is Solved! Day 11 and 16 - Napue Gin and Bishop's Gin

I finally found the missing gin - it was still in the calendar. Not sure how I managed that, but completely failed to open day 11. Still playing catchup with myself because I've been away again (this time to glorious Venice) but we'll get there ...

Kyrö Distillery Company Finland, Napue Gin

£34.95/50 cl (£69.90/L) from master of malt 

Tasting notes also from MoF because I'm not even going to attempt to find the Finnish:

The "Adventurous Rye Rye Gentlemen" at the Kyrö Distillery in Isokyrö, Finland produce the small batch Napue Gin using rye grain and the finest botanicals which give off a nose rich in meadow sweet, citrus, cumin and juniper. To follow it up, the palate develops subtle leafy and refreshing menthol notes. Top work, you adventurous Rye Rye Gentlemen!

The spicyness of this is really noticeable when it's neat - quite pleasant combined with the kick of the spirits (it is reasonably strong at 46.3%vol). However, this gin really comes into its own with tonic - becoming much smoother. One of my favourites from the calendar so far (and worth the wait) but I'm not sure I love it enough to pay that much for it.

Bishop's Gin London Dry Gin

This is actually another gin I've seen in my local supermarket in Belgium - which does have a particularly impressive gin aisle. Possibly not surprising though, as this one is actually made in Belgium. The idea is supposed to balance jenever with gin ... the tasting notes from Gin Foundry are so long and convoluted though that I've just provided the link, not a copy.

This one was quite sweet on the nose (especially when neat) but packs quite a spirity punch. Much better with the tonic - far more rounded flavour - but nothing to knock one's socks off.  Not too expensive for a posher gin+tonic gin at £35.07 on MoM for 70cl (£50.10) - but I think if I were taking a Belgian gin home I would stick to the local jenever made in Deinze.

CATCHUP! Days 7 - 11

In no particular order because I think I've lost one day anyway!

Bertha's Revenge Milk Gin

£49.99/70cl (£71.41/L)
Was not particularly tempted by their description on the website (usual over flashy one) but actually this gin was a real surprise.
Really herbal - a massive hit of cardamon - and works well both neat and in tonic. Pricey - but one of my favourites!

Tarquin's The Seadog Navy Strength

Smelt very spirity - but also quite nice neat. In fact this is one I preferred neat to with tonic (looked almost oily in the glass).

No website this time - and price from Amazon was £40.45/70cl (£57.79/L). 

Glasgow Old Tom

Another one from home - far too spirity neat, but much nicer with tonic. Frankly, not really special enough to go out an buy though. 

£36.50/70cl (£52.14/L)

Elephant Sloe Gin Liquer

Ok - I'm not a fan of tonic in sloe gin (just putting that out there) so I only had this one neat. And it was really nice! Quite a spicy sloe gin, perfect for xmas especially if you like your Gluwein. I really liked this one.

More expensive of course as a sloe gin, but £31.95/70cl (£63.90/L) isn't too bad

Mystery gin ...

So I have no idea what the missing gin is - I can't find the bottle (despite keeping almost all the others) and I have no real recollection of missing one! Maybe it will turn up in a bag at some point (hopefully not when going through an airport). 

Day 15 - Pothecary gin

When this gets posted I'll be sat in Brussels Charleroi on my way to Venice for a couple of days - very excited as it's somewhere I've always wanted to go. But I didn't feel like I wanted to do 4 gins when I return on Saturday so had this a day ahead.

Another British gin - and with a particular fail on the website - which is just a holding site for a shop link. Grr.  Tasting notes from the linked site below though.

...  a unique gin – on the nose, the florals really come through; you can close your eyes and easily be transported to a meadow at first light. The tilia flowers add a strong, honey-like smell but the juniper hints at what lies beneath.

To taste, there’s a lavender explosion – it’s strong and herbal and savoury, though this yields to juniper and a waxy lemon peel, the latter circling back to dominate after the tilia flower brings its honeyed sweetness. This is a smooth, full bodied and bold gin at 44.8% and certainly worth trying for those with a penchant for floral forward gins.

Now short run and small bottle (50ml) means you know it's going to be expensive - and I wasn't wrong with one site selling it for £40 (£80/L!). However, I have to say that I enjoyed this gin - certainly something I would like to have again as long as someone else was paying.

It does indeed deliver on a really soft floral (but not grandma's soap) taste and a nice smooth drink - although really don't bother trying it neat. Yet another nice appearance from the Ginvent calendar, but at those prices I want it as a gift!

Day 14 - Sharish Blue Magic

I've been looking forward to this gin ever since I knew it was in the box - it's from a Portuguese distillery who add a natural colourant to the gin to make it bright blue (for all those people who are sad that Bombay Sapphire isn't blue).

Tasting notes come from ginfoundry.com as the Sharish Website is in Portuguese (but there's a link at the bottom to the actual page) - it's not entirely clear that these refer to the blue gin as well as their usual offering, but I would definitely confirm the appleyness from tasting (and smelling!):

The apples are the first thing to come through on the nose – the gin has a really familiar, fruity Summer Cup smell, though a piquancy from the cloves and cinnamon sits just behind. The apple comes straight through to the tongue too, along with a woody juniper. Coriander warms up the fresh citrus, followed swiftly by the cloves and cinnamon. While the apple and vanillabring a certain sweet quality to the gin, the spicy elements conspire to overthrow them.

Spice dominates at the end but apple is the lingering flavour, remaining long after the drink is done. This would be complemented well by a thin slice of apple in a G&T and would put the drink right at home in an apple-based cocktail; our Cinco de Mayo punch, with its gin, cloudy apple juice, fresh chilli and coriander for example – would suit both the fruity and spicy elements of Sharish Gin and is certainly one for fans of the spirit to try.

I can confirm its quite a nice appley flavour - and the colour change gimmick is certainly quite fun: although its actually on the shelves of my local supermarket in Belgium, it seems like it might be harder to find in the UK. However, on Master of Malt.com it's listed at £37.17 for 50 ml bottle (£74.34/L) - which is quite pricey! I like this gin - but I'm not sure I'd pay that for it!

Day 12 and 13 - Pinkster gin and Porter's Gin

I have a LOT of catching up to do. Not so much on the actual gin tasting, but writing my notes up into blogs! So tonight I'm just going to do the two I'm actually tasting.

Firstly: Pinkster Gin - distilled in Cambridge, and yes it is pink! For those of you who watched last week's episode of the The Apprentice (UK) with it's gin challenge, it's actually raspberry flavoured too. I'm giving up on finding a website that isn't ridiculous - and this one doesn't fail to fall into the overly flashy category ... I couldn't even find any tasting notes.

Having said that, this is a really pleasing gin to drink. Not neat - it's just ordinary when neat (which a heck of a smell of rose water). However, with some ice and a drop of tonic it's really pleasing! A real find - and at only £33 /70cl (£47/L) it's one of the less expensive gins in the box. I can really imagine enjoying this before a summer picnic, with the recommended mint and some additional raspberries floating around in it.  A real find!

Up next is Porters Gin - another one from home (well Scotland) which is distilled in Aberdeen. Slightly less arsey website than usual - and I even managed to find their botanicals!

The botanicals used to create our wonderful gin are: Juniper, angelica, almond, coriander, liquorice, lemon, orange, buddha’s hand, pink peppercorn, orris root, cassia bark and cinnamon. The resulting gin has a bold juniper body and unique citrus profile.

This one has such a small run I couldn't even get a price for it on their website - and it's out of stock on the whisky exchange. Did come up on amazon at £36.84/70cl (£52.63/L) - not that bad for such a small run.

Neat this one doesn't so much pack a punch as kick you out the house! However, with tonic that turns into quite a nice citrus peel bitterness (I can see why they recommend having this one with orange!). Not really my taste, but a really good gin.  Well worth it if you like that kinda flavour.

Day 6- nGINious Smoked and Salted

Tried writing this blog on the day, but my computer refused to connect to the internet.

This Swiss gin is a wee bit gimicky - with smoked nuts and sea salt added to the botanics. Yet another over-pretentious website (oh for something without flashy pictures!).

This quotation comes from the Master of Malt website because the homepage has everything stored as pictures:

The clever chaps behind nginious! Gin have created a Smoked & Salted variation of their excellent Swiss gin. This features juniper, bitter oranges, quinces, ginger and coriander, as well as cold-smoked chestnuts (which were smoked for 40 hours) and a rare smoked stone salt.

I found the gin quite bitter - and I'm afraid the aftertaste of salt was just weird! Not my favourite, and I won't be recommending this to anyone. Bluergh.

Didn't get back to the office last night - so tonight I'll be reviewing the next two gins - which will hopefully be nicer!

EDIT: Forget the price! £49.95/70cl (£71.36/L) ... pricey!

Day 5 - Slingsby Dry London Gin

Today's post comes from a hotel room in Amsterdam where I am staying for a couple of days for work. And the Givent calendar has thrown up another London Dry - this time made by the Harrogate-based Slingsby company. I'm sure I'm not the only person who immediately thinks of Jeeves and Wooster (and Slingsby soups I think it was).

Another rather too fancy website which favours design over information - took me quite a while to find the description below:

The key to making gin is to add flavour through the medium of botanicals. We have carefully selected 24 botanicals both locally and from across the globe. These are synonymous with the beautiful and restorative nature of Harrogate. Our 17 locally-sourced botanicals supplied by Taylors of Harrogate and Rudding Park kitchen garden in Harrogate include: green and jasmine tea, severn sea rosemary, silver posie thyme, citrus thyme, garden thyme, rhubarb, sage, lovage, chervil, nettle and sweet cicely. Our internationally sourced ingredients include:  rose hip, angelica, cassia, orris roots, coriander, liquorice grapefruit and Madagascan juniper.

The gin retails directly from the website at £39.99 for 70cl (£57.12/L) - and comes in a lovely blue bottle (they do also produce a rhubarb gin). The photos seem to suggest that the London Dry should be served with grapefruit - which I am not doing for 2 reasons: being in a hotel (!), but actually more importantly I'm allergic to the fruit!

From the website description it sounds quite complex in its flavouring - I can't say I picked them all out, but there was certainly quite a lot of flavour. A bit bitter to have completely neat - but definitely a gin that needs minimal tonic just to take the edge off.  Quite glad I haven't been trying to give marks out of 10 for these because I would be totally lost - but I don't think this one is particularly my kind of gin (purely subjectively though).

Tomorrow (which I know about because I had to bring it with me) is called smoked and salted  - which is particularly intriguing!

Day 4 - Strathearn Heather Rose Gin

Today's gin is on of those wonderful ones that changes colour when you add tonic - this one in the bottle is the colour of pale whisky, and goes pink when you add the tonic (perhaps this is the Rose part of the name?) The price is £35 for 70cl (£50/L) - and it comes from a distillery that claims to be Scotland's smallest - of course being a Scottish gin I was biased from the beginning. This is the blurb from the website:

This smooth and gentle drink is a move away from the traditional dry gin. The combination of rose and heather gives very light floral notes and a Prosecco character. The colour reflects the fields of heather on Scottish hillsides but the addition of tonic takes you to another world as the colour changes to a delicate pink and a waft of rose scent is released. Floral and light, sweet yet spicy.

This really is a very fruity/floral gin - really lovely! Tastes a little like turkish delight but with a decent kick (not so sickly sweet as the original) - also a real reference to the taste of rosewater. I had it with just tonic - no extras - and that seemed to suit it quite well.

A really nice taste from this gin - quite surprising  - but totally scrummy. I know I said this yesterday (and now I sound like Len Goodman) but this is definitely my favourite so far. The colour change might be a chemical gimic - but the gin itself is absolutely scrumptious!

Day 2 & 3 - Christopher Wren Gin and Strane Merchant Strength Gin

My one issue with keeping up with my Ginvent calendar is that I keep it in the office - and I'm not always there to open it! Therefore, today I was tasting 2 gins from 2 days (and I will have to do the same for a couple next week as I'm away!)

Day 2 was Christopher Wren Gin from the City of London Distillery. This retails at £42 for 70cl (equivalent to £60/L). It's one of 5 gins made by the distillery - which also produces a Sloe Gin. This is the description according to the website:

Christopher Wren Gin has been designed by expert Master Distiller Tom Nichol. This premium gin combines the subtle flavours of juniper, coriander, angelica root, liquorice and sweet orange to give a complex gin that balances quality and flavour

This is another gin I should probably have paired with orange peel in hinesight - but today's choice was lime as my personal favourite! It was pretty tasty, quite a smooth gin - but also quite subtle. Perfectly pleasant - and also tasted quite nice when sipping the last neat drops from the bottle (purely for comparison reasons of course).

Interestingly, both of today's gins were London Dry Gin (which refers to the particular production methods - see Wikipedia for more detail). However, only one of them was made in London - the second gin is actually made in Sweden at the Strane distillery in Smögen.

I have to say that the Strane gin was pretty special - only a little stronger than the Christopher Wren gin, but with a much more punchy flavour. If like me your Swedish is completely non-existent, you can read the tasting notes on the Whisky Exchange website - or have a look at the Strane distillery  website and run it through translation. See below:

The spices are 12 in number and include juniper berries, coriander seeds, almonds, basil, mint, sage, lemon and lime zest, cinnamon stick and liquorice, as well as two secret ingredients that puts the famous icing on the cake ...

I'd love to know what their 'secret ingredients' are - but this has definitely been my favourite gin of the three I've tasted so far (and I think the feeling is mutual with the other tasters who've shared a wee dram). Unsurprisingly for an imported gin, it's not cheap - retailing in the UK for £39.45 for 50cl (£78.90/L) - however, in this case I would consider getting a bottle for the house for special occasions. Very tasty

I have already rescued tomorrow's gin from the office as I won't be in tomorrow either - and am looking forward to trying some Strathearn Heather Rose Gin!

Dec 1 - Half Hitch Gin

And we are off! Today's sample comes from London, and normally retails (direct from the manufacturers website) at £39.95 for 70cl (equivalent to £57 for 1L). Half Hitch is a small distillery, producing small batches - and has won a number of prestigious awards for their product.

Their suitably flashy website (http://www.halfhitch.london/) gives tasting notes and lists the botanicals, as well as the 'philosophy' behind the gin:

Half Hitch Gin - Born out of a vision to unearth and reinvigorate Camden Lock’s former gin glory. A unique choice of botanicals and innovation production technique creates a gin that stands alone in appearance and taste. 

Cutting through all this flash, they seem to recommend that their gin is paired with orange - so that's what we shall add to our tonic this evening! Personally, I'm a classic lime girl, but it's unfair not to work with the flavours intended by the company ...

This evening I was also helping to host a dinner party, so we split the gin between 4 people. It was actually really nice to be able to share a wee dram between friends (and get multiple opinions on the gin).

The general opinion was very positive! I slightly overdid the tonic, but by the time we got to the bottom of the glass we definitely had a good taste of the gin. It did feel very fresh and went very well with the orange peel we put in - a really nice clean taste! We definitely enjoyed the gin - but I can't say it was something that would make me pay small batch prices for it (even if it is award winning).