Gin Archives - First Pour Cocktails

Patient Wolf Starward Whisky Barrel Gin

Posted on August 12, 2023 by Nick

This review would like have never happened if not for some pure happenstance, the kindness of the folks at Patient Wolf, and pure dumb luck. Departing for Australia last year, I had a couple of distilleries that I ideally wanted to visit. Before we even left, it became apparent that one of them, Mr. Black was too far away, and many of the others sadly don’t reach our American shores, with the exception of some of the big boys, like Starward. This is where the trouble starts, and how I ended up with a bottle of Patient Wolf Starward Whiskey Barrel Gin.

An Accidental Visit…

When traveling large distances, it’s worth noting that not all businesses are particularly good at maintaining their hours on Google. This was something we happened to learn after arriving in Melbourne and discovered that Starward was actually closed that day. Still wanting to visit a distillery, I opted for Patient Wolf, which looked like it had some great reviews, and was in the same area. A few trains later, and we were there during what appeared to be their normal hours, and walked inside. As we walked in, it became apparent as we approached the bar that they were in fact not in normal operation. Thankfully, their bartender saw us, and upon realizing we were a considerable distance away from home, was kind enough to strike up a conversation and pour us a couple of samples.

To be blunt, their gins are great, and if I’d had the space, or could find them on American shelves, I’d be happy to add them to my bar. Beyond that, they have some delightful canned cocktails as well (which we enjoyed over the course of the trip). But the sample that really caught my attention, and the subject of this post, is their special collaboration between Patient Wolf and Starward, an amazing Sloe style gin that I’ll cherish for some time to come.

Patient Wolf Gin & Tonic on the balcony — A Patient Wolf Gin & Tonic Canned Cocktail – deliciously refreshing on the balcony

Patient Wolf Starward Whiskey Barrel Gin

Sight: A charming coppery color.

Smell: The nose is an enchanting mix of spiced plum mixed with mulled cherries and hints of orange. Juniper envelops the nose and becomes charming spicy. There’s a preserved and jammy funk that runs through the plum, and gives it a depth of layered plum and evergreen that runs dimensions from fresh to preserved.

Sip: The flavor is smooth, spicy, and laced with intriguing runs of juniper and spiced plum jam. The spicing is really impressive, running from clove to cinnamon to anise and cardamom. There’s a subtle sweetness, and it’s incredibly smooth the whole way through. Fresh fruit notes unexpectedly pop out (such as cherry and plum), and the subtle herbal notes around the juniper give it grains of paradise and angelica like notes. It’s overwhelmingly fragrant and complex.

Savor: The ending lingers with the baking spice notes, plenty of juniper, and a great subtle oakiness. It lingers pleasantly and complexly.

It’s sad to say that Patient Wolf Starward Whiskey Barrel Gin is not a regular offering from Patient Wolf. It’s frankly an incredible interpretation of an aged sloe gin that builds off an incredibly solid gin base. The use of Starward Whisky gives it a uniquely wonderful flavor that plays to the more world whiskey style that Starward achieves. Probably because of this, the product feels balanced between the whiskey influence and the blackthorn gin. All in all, this is a stellar Sloe Gin that I can only wish was available world wide.

In Cocktails

In a Sloe Gin Fizz, it’s absolutely stellar. The spice notes and hints of sloe come through with a beautiful richness, while the lemon adds a brightness. The concert of flavors is brought to crescendo with juniper playing a prominent role. The entire cocktail works in a refreshing symphony that feels perfect for a late summer evening or early fall afternoon.

In Review – Patient Wolf Starward Whiskey Barrel Gin

Overall, I really love this bottle. We happened upon it by chance, and it really represents a special effort by the distillery to create something unique and collaborative with another major player on the Australian spirits stage. The result is complex, refreshing, and crafted with purpose. Similar to the other gins we got to try in our brief (and accidental visit), this attention to detail is what make Patient Wolf worth your time to seek out. This is a full throated recommended bottle if you happen to have access, and for now, we’ll be over here cherishing this one until another opportunity comes our way.

And if you ever find yourself in Melbourne, visit their distillery and try their gin if you get the chance, you won’t regret it.

Averell Damson Gin Liqueur

Posted on January 20, 2023January 9, 2023 by Nick

While almost all gin is clear (or lightly colored if aged), there are a handful of exceptions. Amongst them is damson / sloe gin. This variant is made with a variety of native plums, known as sloes or damsons (Prunus Damascena). While these are technically related to plums, they fell out of popularity compared to the varieties you find in stores. While less common, they’re often made into delicious, spicy products like jams or damson gins (such as Averell Damson Gin Liqueur).

Averell Damson Gin*

Sight: An opaque, slightly burnt, caramelly brown with a tint of brick.

Smell: Deep notes of dried plum macerated in caramel and herbs drift out to lead things off. A bit of spice joins in, giving an almost holiday like spicing to the mix. As it builds, herbal notes begin to try to even things out with bit of bay leaf and ginger, before the fresh brightness of plum comes through.

Sip: The flavor is sweet and caramelized with plenty of Christmas like spicing. Notes of cinnamon, clove, and allspice compliment dried plum notes and pops of fresh plum skin. An acidity carries throughout, giving it a beautiful character.

Savor: The ending is full of bright fruit, but it lingers with a slightly bitter spice and plum skin notes.

Averell Damson Gin is not the kind of thing you would typically drink on it’s own, although in sips it isn’t bad. The complex plum flavor mixed with the botanicals of the gin and the spicing lead to a unique flavor that begs to be used a modifier. The autumnal and holiday spice is simply lovely, and the ginger gives a good kick.

In Cocktails

In a Sloe Gin Fizz it delivers a bright and spicy pop of plum flavor. While the lemon seems like it would tip the brightness over the edge, it actually helps add a different form of acidity that adds levity. The richness of the sugary notes and the bubbles of club work well, and it feels like a great seasonal transition cocktail. We also call for Averell Damson Gin in our I Am Dracula, I Bid You Welcome, where it adds spicing and compliments the fruitiness of port.

In Review – Averell Damson Gin

Averell Damson Gin is a unique and distinctly un-gin like flavor. The spice and fruitiness of the liqueur means that it delivers massive amounts of holiday like spicing with a pop of bright plum in every sip. This lends it well to a lot of intriguing propositions when trying to craft new cocktails. There are however a few downsides. First, after opening it won’t last indefinitely like normal gin. You can expect that after a year the oxidation will significantly impact flavors. Secondly, there aren’t a ton of cocktails that call for Sloe / Damson gin, meaning you’ll be trying to work through a bottle for a while depending on your usage rate. That said, Averill’s version is very reasonably priced in the mid $20 range.

*Note – this bottle has undergone a packaging change since taking and reviewing our bottle. We have no reason to believe the contents of the bottle have changed.

Barrel Knickerbocker

Posted on September 16, 2022August 29, 2022 by Nick

The vast majority of gin undergoes a process to impart flavors of the botanicals and spices into the gin. Whether this is steeping, vapor infusing, or vapor distilling, gin receives the flavors, and then is typically ready to be bottled. For these reasons, it pretty easy to start your distillery with gin. What’s less common, is aging your gin. Thankfully the folks at New Holland have instead chosen to make an aged gin. Enter Barrel Knickerbocker.

Barrel Knickerbocker

Sight: Deep gold.

Smell: The smell of citrus, specifically multiple types of oranges (ranging from Curacao to Cara Cara) leap forth. Bergamot and juniper slide in quickly, and notes of angelica, herbs (possibly dill?), vanilla, and spice are present. Just a touch of oak and malted grain comes through. A hint of heat comes through. The nose is ultimately complex and inviting.

Sip: The flavor of oak and citrus pops forward with tons of orange notes again. The orange ranges from dried to candied, with a bit of pithiness. It isn’t quite sweet, but the start of vanilla notes seem to drive it that way. There’s a bright juniper note that pierces through with a gentle creamy vanilla. Herbal notes and juniper gradually build toward the back end.

Savor: The finish continues with a touch of spice, oak, herbs, and a lingering vanilla preserved orange note.

Barrel Knickerbocker is complex and intriguing, delivering significant vanilla and oak flavors but doesn’t lose the juniper. The resulting gin is surprisingly citrusy and vanilla forward, in a refreshing and lively way. The flavors beg to be sipped again and again, and keep evolving as you sip. Perfectly balanced between the gin and the barrel, nothing is lost.

In Cocktails

In a Martini, the citrus forward nature pairs lovingly with the herbs and wine notes of the vermouth. The vanilla and orange still hold a strong profile, giving it a smoothness and gentle spice. The net effect is a barrel aged influence on a Martini with a nice touch of citrus. The ending is equally as delightful, giving off vanilla and juniper notes with just a bit of spice.

In Review – Barrel Knickerbocker

Barrel Knickerbocker is delightful and unique. Priced in the low-to-mid $30s, there’s a lot of value added to this New Holland’s barrel aged offering. The spice and citrus nature pushes this toward contemporary, but the juniper is given a fair place. While it might seem like the kind of gin you can’t use in many places, it will offer a great way to place a twist in everything from a Negroni to a Gin Rickey. The aging process does still make this unique, so we recommend considering it as an expansion bottle, not a primary or starter bottle.

Bluecoat American Dry Gin

Posted on May 13, 2022May 10, 2022 by Nick

Traveling is one of the best ways to experience the changes in the landscape of distillers and new spirits. Our friend Nick traveled to Philly in the past few years, and as a gin aficionado, decided to test out Bluecoat American Dry Gin. A product of the Philadelphia Distillery, this modern style focuses on citrus forward notes, putting juniper on the backburner. There’s a heavy amount of competition in this segment, so is it worth the price?

Bluecoat American Dry Gin

Sight: It’s clear.

Smell: The nose is clearly contemporary with plenty of lemon and orange peel and the sweet woodsy smell of angelica. Juniper lingers in the background with a bit of spice.

Sip: The woodsy notes lead things off with a vanillan like character and plenty of dried citrus notes. The flavor of coriander gradually grows and gets laced through the citrus. Juniper is more of a background player here.

Savor: The ending carries on their botanical and citrus finish. It leans towards a mélange of oranges as it lingers.

Bluecoat American Dry Gin is soft, aromatic, and citrusy. The flavor is really gentle and easy going, but entirely what a classical gin lover would expect of a London dry. Even as contemporary gins go, the citrus notes are relatively dominant, along with the rolling woodsy-ness and slight vanilla character. The subtle spicing is pleasant as well.

In Cocktails

In a Martini, the woodsy nature of the angelica shines in the opening. It gives it a richness that blends against the alpine herb notes of the vermouth. The citrus kind of gradually creeps in and then takes over the drink. The juniper and coriander kind of get lost here, and the orange runs the ending over. It’s kind of a conflicting Martini, because it starts off quite nice, and the ending is clean and not unpleasant. Only during heavy scrutiny does it seem to get too citrusy.

In Review – Bluecoat American Dry Gin

Bluecoat American Dry Gin is gentle and lets juniper play the roll of an understudy. The stars here are citrus and angelica and it tastes like it. The flavors therefore lead to cocktail friendly gin that might occasionally get lost or show off any bright / citrusy counterparts it encounters. With a price tag around $25, this is a decent competitor to other contemporary gins like Aviation. While it isn’t a starter gin, fans of lighter contemporary gins and those that dislike juniper should consider Bluecoat.

Empress 1908 Gin

Posted on March 18, 2022March 18, 2022 by Nick

Handcrafted by Victoria Distillers in British Colombia, Empress 1908 Gin is a contemporary style gin that is infused with butterfly pea blossoms. With the use of this particular tea the gin harnesses one of the hottest trends in cocktails over the last couple years. The idea is that when acid touches the blue butterfly tea, it turns pink. The result is a product that seeks to balance contemporary gin with color in a package to make cocktails live out loud. So does it pull it off?

Empress 1908 Gin

Sight: Obviously, it is a blue to violet hue. The color is strikingly close to some Creme de Violet.

Smell: The nose starts out perfumed with roses and violets, giving way to juniper and citrus peels. An earthy note laces through the background, fringing into asparagus and herbs. A slight spice lingers around the edge.

Sip: The start is smooth and a hint sweet. The palate dries out, picking up rose and floral notes, touches of earth, green herbs, and plenty of citrus ranging from lemon oil to grapefruit. Coriander and juniper come up from the depths to tie everything together and grab the reins.

Savor: Juniper, earthy green vegetables, and coriander linger on the finish.

Empress 1908 Gin is not overly aggressive or floral, but does deliver plenty of citrus and juniper with a floral and earthy backdrop. The contemporary style’s earthiness is clearly a result of the butterfly pea blossoms that provide the indigo color. As contemporary gin styles go, the spice of coriander and the citrus nearly even things up with the juniper. The net result is a balanced gin that’s got slightly unique bent.

In Cocktails

In a Martini Empress 1908 Gin shows up to play background. The earthiness comes through with plenty of grapefruit and juniper. The vermouth tangos across center stage giving it’s herbal character and bright wine notes a starring role that hangs out on stage. The biggest pops come from the citrus oils and vermouth vinous notes. The result is a good martini that doesn’t quite demonstrate exceptionalness. That said, we find that some of the floral and citrus notes come out better in other applications, where the complexity doesn’t necessarily play a duet, but part of an ensemble, like our Flowers Are Expensive.

In Review – Empress 1908 Gin

Empress 1908 Gin is beautiful to look at and has a nice flavor profile. The cost isn’t exactly on the low end though, coming in at close to $40. Butterfly Pea Blossom Tea is pretty, but it’s also earthy, and in this application, it doesn’t bring enough beyond color to make it worthwhile. The contemporary flavors don’t end up significantly more interesting than Aviation, which comes in at a significantly cheaper $25. If you absolutely must have a bottle for the color, feel free to pay the premium. Otherwise, consider buying your own Butterfly Pea Tea – like this one we’ve used in the past from Amazon.

Flower City Gin

Posted on December 10, 2021December 1, 2021 by Nick

I went to school in Rochester, NY and as a result have fond memories of my days living there. Going back and forth to Albany, NY, I frequently make stops to explore what’s available in the local market that I can’t find in Ohio. Among the products I brought back with me, is Flower City Gin.

Made by the now defunct Honeoye Falls Distillery, Flower City Gin was a well received gin in reviews. Reviewers enjoyed the emphasis on floral notes and praised the price. Sadly this praise never seems to have translated into success for the distillery, and what’s left is a handful of bottles, including this one in my collection from back when they were operating. So it is worth trying to seek out?

Flower City Gin

Sight: Clear

Smell: The nose is as implied, very floral, with notes of violets, roses, and honeysuckle. Beyond the veritable florist’s shop of flowers begin notes of exotic spice, a touch of cassia bark, and juniper notes. The nose clearly demonstrates a more contemporary approach. A hint of citrus pith or greenery finishes things off.

Sip: The start is smooth, and then unexpectedly quite spicy. There’s a fair amount of cassia bark, grains of paradise, and other exotic notes that take over the palate. These remain balanced with a surprising amount of sweetness to counterbalance. As the spice fades, violets, carnations, and roses come into the picture with a juniper backbone.

Savor: Transitioning to the finish it picks up an almost pink peppercorn like character which balances against a juniper and floral profile. The finish is relatively short lived, but lingers with some spice.

Flower City Gin is surprisingly floral and complicated for its price point. The flavor of juniper reminds you that this is in fact gin, but the floral and spice notes drag it far away from traditional London Dry territory. The result is a slightly sweet, floral, and spicy gin that’s pleasant to sip, but also seems ready to play well with other ingredients.

In Cocktails

In a Martini Flower City Gin does exactly what it does on its own, it brings the spice. The same exotic spices punch out against the back drop of the herbal character of vermouth. The vermouth herbal notes also give room to amplify with the floral elements. The overall drink is smooth, but it feels as though this would work better in a Negroni. Trying it in s Negroni leads to a more amplified spice and bitter profile, but it works well with the warm flavors of the sweet vermouth. The only slight issue is that the naturally sweet nature of the gin doubles down here, making the Negroni a bit sweeter than usual.

In Review – Flower City Gin

Flower City Gin is a particularly interesting gin, but one that lends its own character to the drinks you make with it. The biggest struggle here is that it would alienate traditional gin drinkers. The balance is also slightly sweet. Given the price point of $20 or under, Flower City Gin is certainly worth a flyer for fans of Aviation Gin. That said, it’s no where near as composed as Aviation, and will take some balancing for crafting with. Combined with Honeoye Falls Distillery closing, Flower City Gin is now a discontinued bottle, we recommend you try a bottle if you find it on clearance, but don’t go out of your way to try to find one.

Tanqueray London Dry Gin

Posted on November 19, 2021November 11, 2021 by Nick

Owned by Diageo, Tanqueray is a brand positioned as premium but that isn’t the highest in the Tanqueray portfolio. Tanqueray London Dry Gin is positioned as their entry level brand, while they market Tanqueray No 10 Gin as their premium offering. Most people won’t ever get to realizing this though, as Tanqueray frequently is seen as a premium brand in bars and restaurants. Distilled for nearly 200 years, it’s one of the most recognizable gin brands in the world. Despite this, it’s affordable. So should it have a home in your home bar?

Tanqueray London Dry Gin

Sight: Clear

Smell: Soft to start with touches of vanilla. Juniper leads off heavily, pulls in touches of cinnamon and spicing. Touches of lemon and other citrus comes in, and hints of exotic spicing joins in. There’s a hint of heat.

Sip: The start is similarly soft and smooth, but the heat turns up relatively quickly. A bit of sweetness is responsible for this start, which lasts throughout. Juniper is the dominate note, but it’s complimented by a spicy character. There’s notes of angelica and cinnamon that are prevalent. Other sorts of herbal notes are really not as obvious at the spice touches.

Savor: On the ending, the finish has a kick up of heat and more of a powdered cinnamon and touch of red hot style spice. Juniper eventually overwhelms the other notes.

Tanqueray London Dry Gin is a little hot, slightly sweet, and more spicy than a typical London dry gin. That’s not to say it’s a bad thing, it has the underlying Juniper flavor that you’d expect from gin. The spice is also not nearly as pronounced as a contemporary style of gin. Overall, it creates a very good opportunity layering flavors on top.

In Cocktails

In a Martini the underlying spice plays a strong foil to the herbal notes in the vermouth. The brightness compliments the sweetness well, and it lends a clean, refreshing character to the drink. The ending lingers with more spice and subtle. The juniper is there, but due to the spice, it holds itself in check. Tanqueray may be a little wild on it’s own, but it also plays well with others.

In Review – Tanqueray London Dry Gin

Tanqueray London Dry Gin works well in cocktails, even if it doesn’t necessarily break new ground. Individuals that aren’t a big fan of juniper might struggle with Tanqueray and look toward Beefeater or Bombay Sapphire. That said, if you like juniper and spice, then Tanqueray plays well with others. The price being close to equal with Beefeater and Bombay puts Tanqueray into the recommended bottles for a home bar.

Bombay Sapphire London Dry Gin

Posted on October 22, 2021November 21, 2021 by Nick

While juniper is the most well known botanical used to flavor gin, there are often a host of other supporting flavors. These can range from cassia to lemon rind to grains of paradise to almost any spice the mind can conceive of. For these reasons, gins are highly variable as their influence is driven by more than factors like grain or fruit used and aging vessels. Among the most famous gins is Bombay Sapphire London Dry Gin, which includes over 10 different botanicals, include cubeb, grains of paradise, and almonds.

Bombay Sapphire London Dry Gin

While Bombay Sapphire London Dry Gin is from a 1761 recipe, its worth noting that the brand is from the 1980’s. Following a run of success, it was sold to Bacardi, who has crafted other versions (including original Bombay Dry and Bombay East). The version in the US is the 94 proof, while international versions are 80 proof.

Sight: Clear.

Smell: The nose leads off with a bit of spice before jumping into juniper. The smell is bright and perfume like with a touch of almond, a variety of citrus (predominately grapefruit), and a hint of coriander. The spice creeps back in and is almost pepper like – most likely from the grains of paradise or cubeb berries.

Sip: The start has a hint of sweetness that slowly fades as the mouthfeel gets slightly warm. The heat persist throughout, but notes of juniper and citrus rind dominate the top notes. Hints of spice and earth notes grow in the background, with a persistent touch of pepper.

Savor: The ending is dominated by spicy pepper and juniper wrapped in lemon peel. The ending lingers provocatively.

Bombay Sapphire London Dry Gin is an aggressive gin that doesn’t end up tasting like a pine tree. This dominance is driven by the citrus and spice notes that help balance the juniper notes throughout. The result is a bold gin that toes the line between herbal and spice in an elegant and strong way. While the palate feel is slightly harsh, the flavors are strongly indicative of a London Dry Gin.

In Cocktails

Bombay Sapphire London Dry Gin really opens up in Martini. Floral notes and juniper jump out to lead, with plenty of citrus coming in to play background. Combined with the acidity and herbal notes of the wine, it blends smoothly and effortlessly, leading to a clean and inviting drink. Bombay helps to keep the strength of the gin in the forefront, but allows the vermouth to play its support role admirably.

In Review – Bombay Sapphire London Dry Gin

We recommend Bombay Sapphire London Dry Gin, both thanks to it’s dominate characteristics and complex flavor profile. The added bonus of playing nicely with other ingredients while still showing the full strength of botanicals present in gin. The price and availability are another reason for our recommendation. In the low to mid $20 price point, there’s a lot of value offered for the price.

Bombay Sapphire’s Website

Fords Gin

Posted on October 8, 2021October 3, 2021 by Nick

Fords Gin seeks to be a versatile gin that is perfect for classic gin cocktails. This is an ideal application of Gin, as of all the base spirits, it’s one of the only choices that doesn’t also have a significant number of individuals enjoying it neat. The result of the choices made by Fords is a gin that seeks to bring out the best mix of flavors that are awakened by the addition of other elements, be they water or cocktail ingredients.

Fords Gin

Most gins don’t give you the exact percentage breakdown of their herbs and spice. Fords is a bit of an exception in this regard, providing exactly what percentage of each item is. Per their website:

Juniper – 49.5%
Coriander – 30.5%
Lemon – 3.2%
Bitter Orange – 3.2%
Grapefruit – 3.2%
Cassia – 2%
Angelica – 3.2%
Jasmine – 3.2%
Orris – 2%

Sight: Clear.

Smell: Juniper jumps out, but it’s more subdued. It’s followed by notes of creamy lemon and orange, earthy notes reminiscent of cassia and coriander, and floral notes. There’s a touch of heat as well.

Sip: Smooth and silky on the start, notes of citrus lead off the palate, bringing out orange and lemon zest. The background begins to building, adding touches of spice, plenty of juniper and coriander, and hints of jasmine. The heat on the noses doesn’t materialize here, but a pretty brightness does.

Savor: The ending brings in more notes or orange zest and lemon. It gets more pithy and a touch dry as it goes.

Fords Gin has a nice complexity to it, and is clearly configured to try to achieve balance instead of dominance. The overall smoothness gives it a pleasant texture that seems to be built to compliment other flavors. The spicing is just complex enough that it keeps begging your attention in the background. Overall, it’s very inviting and curiously interesting.

In Cocktails

In a Martini Fords Gin is well balanced, giving a nice mix of juniper and spice while also providing a space for the citrus to thrive. The texture is smooth, and the finish is clean and slightly citrusy and floral. Some of the spice notes are surprisingly prominent, and help to subdue the traditional juniper forward nature that are associated with gin.

In Review – Fords Gin

Fords Gin earns a lot of positive nods for both it’s pedigree and the development focused balanced drinks. Fords Gin does fairly well at achieving balance, especially on its own. It also does fairly well in cocktails, although it isn’t the most prevalent and sometimes almost blends with other elements. The other element of Fords Gin is the price. At nearly $30, it sits at almost double a traditional gin like Beefeater. The problem is the flavor isn’t twice as nice. For these reasons, we encourage lovers of gin to try Fords, but it’s not a must have for those running their home bar.

Beefeater London Dry Gin

Posted on March 25, 2020June 21, 2020 by Nick

Perhaps there is no Gin that’s bottle and brand so stands out to decidedly stands out to me as both British and cosmopolitan as Beefeater. The Yeoman Warders (or Beefeaters) are of course the ceremonial guards of the Tower of London, and Beefeater Gin prominently features one on the label. The brand has been around since 1876 – and not for nothing. Beefeater London Dry Gin has won multiple awards from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition between 2006 and 2012, as well as high ratings from spirit reviewers.

So with all that said, does Beefeater deserve a place on your bar?

Beefeater London Dry Gin

Sight: Clear.

Smell: Juniper comes to a head from the start – it’s accented by notes of lemon peel, touches of spice, citrus, and angelica.

Sip: The mouthfeel leads with citrus peel, but moves into juniper fairly freely. There are notes of coriander and angelica root that pop out over time. There’s a hint of sweetness as well, but the overall profile is clean and light with just a touch of heat.

Savor: The ending emphasizes juniper, citrus pith, and spicing with a hint of bitterness.

Beefeater London Dry Gin is clean, simple, and straightforward. The complexity is enough to lend itself well to cocktails, but strong enough to emphasize itself in cocktails. It particularly goes well in a martini, where it shows off the ability to smooth, while bringing out the best in the vermouth. For this same reason – we like crafting with Beefeater. It plays well in both classics and tiki cocktails, without getting lost. For this reason, we recommend Beefeater as your entry gin.

Looking for more?

Plymouth Gin

Posted on November 18, 2019 by Nick

Odds are good if you’ve hung out in a cocktail bar, you’ve seen a sea glass green bottle with a rather oblong shape sitting on the shelf. Plymouth Gin is produced by one of the oldest distilleries in the world, Black Friars Distilleries. The name Plymouth is actually a geographical regulation for gin produced in Plymouth, England. It happens to now be the only gin distilled in Plymouth.

So what’s the difference? Plymouth Gin tends to be less dry, and a little lighter on the juniper. In Plymouth Gin’s case this results in a nose that opens with juniper but gives way more easily to citrus and coriander. The floral notes in the nose are robust and play well with some of the herb and spice elements, giving a very perfumed nature. The body is smooth and easy, with plenty of lemon and coriander playing equal fiddle to the juniper. The finish is clean after the gentle richness of the body, and maintains a similar flavor profile.

On it’s own, Plymouth Gin is simply delicious.

Plymouth Gin In Cocktails:

Plymouth’s delightfully softer style makes it at home for more delicate floral drinks. In bolder drinks – Plymouth fights a bit more – but is still capable of showing up. The citrus notes comes forward more and the spice is more subdued. Experimenting with our gold standard of a Martini we found it to be level with the vermouth, and less juniper forward than most gins.

So Is Plymouth Gin Good?

We quite like Plymouth, and are happy to keep a bottle around. While it’s not the most versatile gin in our collection, it’s smooth body and balanced spicing makes us like it. The lower ABV (41.2%) makes it a little less dominant, but keeps it above the 80 proof line. This means the impact in most cocktails should be relatively minimal compared to standards like Beefeater & Bombay Sapphire.

Looking for something more contemporary? Check out our take on Aviation Gin.

Want more information? Check out Plymouth’s website.

Raw Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a solid amount of juniper – but gives way gently to notes of citrus and coriander. There’s a certain floral character to the nose but it mixes well with a more herbaceous note – leaning toward perfume. The body is smooth and the lemon and coriander almost play equal fiddle to the juniper. There’s a richness to the body, and it finishes cleanly – maintaining notes of pine, lemon, and gentle cardamom and root spice.

Aviation Gin

Posted on May 1, 2019April 19, 2021 by Nick

Quick – think of your favorite gin. Got one in mind? Good.

Now – think for a second – do you know what style of gin that gin you love is?

For most people, the standard answer to this question has been a London Dry brand. Popular brands like Tanqueray, Beefeater, Gordon’s, and Bombay Sapphire all fall under this category. These gins are grain neutral spirits based, and tend to be heavy on the resinous, piney juniper berry. Other aromatics and flavorings can compliment – but these gins are undoubtedly juniper forward.

And when most people ask for gin, this is what they are requesting.

Over the last several years other classifications of gin have begun to emerge, among them what might be called Contemporary Gins. These gins, like Aviation American Gin, fulfill the basic requirement of having juniper – but then tend to strongly rely on other flavors or use a different base spirit.

About Aviation Gin

Aviation American Gin was founded in 2006 and was one of the first craft American gin’s on the market. Hailing from Portland, Oregon – the owner Ryan Magarian was interested in the downplay of juniper in the style of gin. Partnering with Christian Krogstad, the pair began trying to recreate the long-forgotten style of American Gin.

Aviation American gin did well and earned accolades and recommendations from everyone from Death & Co to Wine Enthusiast. The gin certainly developed a fair amount of attention on its own, but truly took off with the added ownership of Ryan Reynolds. With his stature and charisma, the brand has become increasingly mainstream.

Reynold’s bought into Aviation as a result of his love of it in a Negroni he repeatedly had while filming in his home town of Vancouver. Thanks to some great advertising, and the endorsements – we had to give it a try.

On Its Own: Aviation Gin

Aviation Gin is well weighted on the palate and is relatively easy going on the intake. Key flavors of juniper, cardamom, and citrus are all in play on both the nose and palate. Spice and a hint of bitterness are present (possibly a bark or root), and finishes on heavy on the spice side. The finish is long, with a bit of burning.

For full notes – see our tasting notes below.

Aviation Gin - American Gin Negroni — The Wonderful Aviation Negroni

In Cocktails

All that basic knowledge about types of gin mentioned in the intro is absolutely wonderful – right up until the moment you’re trying to make a drink. It’s like realizing that whole milk and almond milk are both technically types of milk, but they make your cup of coffee taste very different – they’re not necessarily interchangeable.

We ultimately tested four cocktails:

Martini
Aviation
Negroni
Pendennis Club Cocktail

The Martini & Aviation

To test out Aviation Gin, we started with the basics – a Martini.

We tested two ways – using Beefeater and Aviation Gin – both with Martini & Rossi Dry Vermouth. The results were somewhat surprising. While the Beefeater made a run of the mill Martini, the Aviation was somewhat overpowering. Flavors of cardamom and sasparilla become aggressive, overwhelm the vermouth, and give it a spicy, unbalanced top note.

We then decided to try a classic Aviation.

The Aviation was good, but the dominant spice flavors added elements to the Aviation that seemed out of place, and not in a way that I’d go out of my way to find. Unlike the martini, it wasn’t unpleasant – but it wasn’t my go to. Personally, I’d prefer the slight sweetness and gentleness of Hayman’s Old Tom Gin or a classic Beefeater before reaching for Aviation.

So after two cocktails, we started to wonder where exactly this was supposed to be good?

We hit the books and came up with two more ideas

Nick’s Choice: The Negroni

Negroni

1 oz

Aviation Gin

1 oz

Campari

1 oz

Sweet Vermouth

Combine all ingredients in a mixing vessel with ice. Stir. Strain over large ice cube in a double rocks glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

From my perspective (and as we later found out – Ryan Reynold’s) Aviation is ideally suited for bolder cocktails, like the Negroni. The balance of herbal notes from the Campari, along with it’s bitter and sweet flavors, spicing in the vermouth, and the natural juniper and cardamom notes of the gin add up to a highly complex, perfectly balanced drink that let’s every element shine. Where in some iterations the gin can lose some of its gusto, Aviation Gin creates a strong foil – showing the strength of its spice mix in the complexity of the Negroni.

Ann Marie’s Choice: The Pendennis Club Cocktail

My direction was a bit different, as I’m not a fan of the Negroni regardless of your choice of gin because of the strong bitterness that Campari has. Instead, I opted for the fruitier Pendennis Club Cocktail. A mix comprised of peach and apricot liqueurs combine with lime and a few dashes of Creole and Peychaud’s bitters. This allows the juniper of the Aviation gin to feel more herbal while the cardamom essence pairs well with the spice of the bitters. Brightness from the lime and tart notes from the liqueurs allow the citrus peel in the Aviation Gin to pop – resulting in a well-balanced, easy-going cocktail.

Guard dog Bella keeping an eye on my Pendennis Club Cocktail

The Final Word: Aviation Gin

Aviation Gin is a solid American Gin that’s worth a shot at the price point. Is it the most delicious gin, that’ll be a subjective opinion – and from some of the comments out there – will depend on your own stylistic gin preference. If you happen to enjoy a spicier gin, where juniper is more co-star than lead, Aviation Gin is worth a try to determine if you want it to have a permanent place in your home.

Aviation American Gin

Rating

Coming Soon!

Other’s Share Their Thoughts on Aviation American Gin:

Tasting Notes:

Nick: Aviation Gin has a strong showing of juniper – and use it as a backbone throughout. There’s cardamom present throughout with hints of lemongrass, cinnamon, and hints of floral. The mouthfeel is smooth with little burning and a hint of bitterness, perhaps some bark or root added. The finish is heavily laden to juniper, cardamom, and a light touch of citrus. It disappears relatively quickly.

Ann Marie: A nose of juniper, cardamom, and a hint of citrus – with the pithiness of a lemon peel. There isn’t much sweetness, but the juniper and cardamom make a strong showing. The citrus is more bitter. Lemon peel. The bitterness is similar to a cocoa bean.