Here we are at day 23 of ginvent and today is a day I am particularly excited for. Today we try the Old Tom gin from Ableforth’s Bathtub gin collection. Ableforth’s Bathtub gin is probably one of the most iconic brands on the market with their distinctive brown paper wrapping, and I’ve tried their traditional version here. I really like Old Tom gins, so this should be a treat, Continue reading
cocktails
Ginvent 2017 – Masons Dry Yorkshire Gin Lavender edition
I have something to admit here. I have had a test tube of Masons Yorkshire Gin sat on my shelf waiting to be opened since last Christmas…and today we are trying their lavender edition. I should point out I haven’t tried it yet because I sort of forgot about it, not because I heard anything bad. In fact, the opposite is true, I regularly hear about this gin and how good it is. Masons is the first gin to be distilled in Yorkshire and each bottle has a handwritten batch and bottle number on it – something possible due to runs of just 200 litres. Unveiled in 2015, the lavender edition features the intense but subtly sweet note of (you guessed it ) lavender. So, let’s see how it fares. Continue reading
Ginvent 2017 – Whitley Neill Rhubarb & Ginger Gin
As we start week three of Ginvent, I get to try a new gin for me – Whitley Neill Rhubarb and Ginger. I’ve tried Whitley Neill’s award winning gin before in a bar which I liked, and I’ve tried a Rhubarb gin before which I didn’t like – but also the Slingsby Rhubarb gin surprised me. So this could be interesting. Whitley Neill is a hand crafted gin inspired by the beauty and mystery of Africa, and has impressed the gin world winning Gold medals in the IWSC, The Spirits Business Awards, the International Spirits Challenge and The Drinks Business Gin Masters Competition. This version of their gin is inspired by something closer to home…literally being inspired by the land around their home. It’s also important to note that a lot of flavoured gins are actually liqueurs, whereas this is a proper gin, that just happens to taste of rhubarb and ginger. Continue reading
Ginvent 2017 – Bishop’s Special Edition Gin
Last year during Ginvent we sampled Bishop’s Gin and you can learn more about it here. I was lucky enough to be one of the few that received the special edition gin as not everyone did due to production issues. However, the special edition gin is marmalade flavoured. And we all know how much I LOVE orange… so this should be fun… Continue reading
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
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
Double Dutch
With the number of mixers now available, how do you know which one is best? Well, luckily I’m here to take one for the team and to try them all. Netherlands born and raised Double Dutch have won an award from Richard Branson for their innovative brand. I’ve tried their Indian tonic as part of my tonic taste test blog – which can be read here – which also has a slim version. But they also have a number of slightly different flavours… Continue reading
Monkey 47 Distiller’s Cut
If you haven’t heard of Monkey 47 gin before, then where have you been? It’s delicious – I actually reviewed their regular gin here. Thanks to having gin friends from Twitter (Hi Andy!) I’ve managed to get a sample of their Distiller’s Cut gin. The Distiller’s Cut edition of their gin is made but once a year, bottled in a limited run of just 4,000. So what make’s it different? The 2017 edition is their traditional 47 botanicals with added musk yarrow leaves and flowers which are macerated, distilled, distilled again and then left to mature for three months. This year, the team trekked up a Swiss mountain to ensure their special ingredient is as fresh as possible – with a lovely photo story over on their website. Continue reading
Peter Spanton Mixers
As part of my ongoing quest to make sure my gin is as good as it can be, I’ve started looking at tonics and the range that is now out there. A unique player in the market is Peter Spanton who like to do things a bit differently. I’ve tried their original No. 1 tonic in one of my tonic taste tests (which you can read here), but in this post I’m going to explore some more of their flavours. Continue reading