It’s day 10 of Ginvent and I went out last night so we’re actually trying the day 9 gin – for which I am very happy. I have heard lots of good things about today’s gin and have wanted to try it for ages, and now I can! Today we try Campfire Gin, a gin from Tring that appeared after 18 months of experimenting and a successful crowdfunding campaign. They use 10 botanicals in their gin, including hazelnut, coffee cherry, lavender and golden berry. As well as their original recipe gin, they also produce a Navy Strength and Cask Aged gin, along with seasonal variations. So let’s end the wait and see how this tastes. Continue reading
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Ginvent 2017 – Sacred Cardamom Gin
Welcome to week two of Ginvent! At the quarter way mark we today try
Sacred Cardamom gin. Sacred gin is apparently the only commercial distillery based in a residential house. Ian Hart had toyed with the idea of making a gin – specifically a London Dry style gin made in London by a Londoner – and in 2008 he made this dream a reality. Most gins are distilled in a pot still, but Ian used his science background to try a vacuum distillation process. This allows it to distil at a lower temperature and create deeper, richer flavours. After 22 attempts, the panel of taste testers down his local pub decided that try 23 was the one. Since then, the range has grown to include eight gins, two vodkas, two whiskys, three vermouths, a pre-made negroni and a rosehip cup. The gins available focus on a key botanical note, which today is showcasing cardamom. Of all the things I’ve learnt since starting this blog, my love of cardamom is probably the best. So this should be an exciting evening.
Ginvent 2017 – Slingsby Ruhubarb Gin
We’ve finished week one
of Ginvent and I’m excited for today. Slingsby gin is one of my favourite gins, and today we are trying their rhubarb gin. I’m not a massive rhubarb fan, or a flavoured gin fan, but this is one is one I’ve heard plenty of good things about. Made in Harrogate, Yorkshire, they focus on all of the ingredients in their gin. Particularly their water. Harrogate was the first place in Britain to bottle their fresh water and St John’s Well (discovered in 1631) was recognised as medicinal and restorative. Their botanicals are focused on this ethos, using locally sourced and hand picked plants to complement the fresh water and pure single grain spirit used to make their gin. So, let’s see how the rhubarb version tastes. Continue reading
Ginvent 2017 – LoneWolf Gin
Day five of Ginvent is LoneWolf gin. The gin comes from the team behind Brewdog who take control of every stage of production from mashing their own grains to fermenting and distilling. This truly can be considered a craft gin. They tried and tried and their gin came about after 192 trials and they are continuing to experiment. They are a company that make their own rules, and aren’t done playing yet.
Ginvent 2017 – Tarquin’s British Blackberry Gin
You know it’s ginvent when you get to this year’s edition of Tarquin’s. I’ve already been lucky enough to sample their original gin (here) and their Seadog Navy Strength gin (here). For 2017 we are trying their British Blackberry Gin which combines gin and blackberries as well as some Cornish wildflower honey to add a touch of sweetness. I tried this at Gin Foundry’s Winter Wonderland event last week in a cocktail which was a twist on a Bee’s Knees with lemon and honey and it was delicious.
Ginvent 2017 – 58 Navy Strength Gin
It’s day 3 and today we are drinking 58 Navy Strength gin. Last year’s Ginvent calendar contained their regular gin (review and info here) so let’s see how this one fares. Fun fact: this is part of the launch of their Navy Strength gin, we’re some of the first people to try it wahoo! Continue reading
Ginvent 2017 – Ginvent Gin
Merry Ginmas! It’s officially December which can only mean one thing – DAILY GIN! We kick off Ginvent with Ginvent’s very own gin. Now we tried this last year as a special gin made just for the calendar by the folks at Gin Foundry HQ, so how will this year’s edition fare? Continue reading
Merchant’s Heart mixers
In my continued mission to make the best gin and tonic, today I’m exploring a fairly new brand, Merchant’s Heart, who launched in 2015. Despite their youth, they have a mighty range. I’ve already tried their classic tonic as part of my tonic taste test – which you can read here – along with a light version but they have a number of other flavours available.
Daffy’s Gin
Daffy’s gin came about after four years of experimenting. The result: a base of pure wheat grain from northern France which is then distilled in a single batch copper pot with unique botanicals such as Lebanese mint and a rare variety of lemons. They decided to bottle the gin at 43.4% – higher than the average 37.5% gin. They believe that this is the perfect level, any higher and the alcohol overtakes the botanicals, any weaker and the complexity of the gin is diluted. It sounds like a complex gin, they say it has notes of citrus, mint, toffee, caramel and chocolate. I’m concerned this might be a bit too much for my liking. They also have a very specific way they recommend serving their D&T (Daffy’s and Tonic) – it involves a lot of lime and ice (see it here). Before I give it a go, I’d like to thank Orla for giving me a sample from her bottle – make sure you check out her ridiculous dachshund puppies here. Continue reading
Audemus Pink Pepper Gin
Audemus Pink Pepper gin hails from Cognac in France, when founders Bob and Bert met in 2014, over soup. Obviously. Their Pink Pepper gin is widely known as their flagship product and they dedicate each batch of their gin to their family, friends and people who have helped the brand over the years. They say the flavour changes as you drink the gin. The first prominent flavours are pink peppercorns (yup, who’d have thunk it), juniper and cardamom, however when served over ice the vanilla, tonka and honey come out. I’m very excited about trying this – on which note I’d like to thank Orla for kindly donating a sample to me. I highly encourage you to check out her Instagram account to see her puppies Kyuss and Paloma. Continue reading