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!