If you haven’t seen Awayuki Gin, it’s worth seeking out. Very unique.
Does it taste a lot like strawberries or is that just a faint unsweet hint? I have that japanese satsuma tangerine one and it’s so dominant the gin is basically worthless for anything other than neat sipping or a sweet orange flavored martini with an orange twist.
Background on nose…enough to notice but not enough that it is a “strawberry Gin.”
If that makes sense.
Picked up two new to me gins today. Along with some Willet, Elijah Craig toasted and Murray Hill Club. The Mahon just made it to Alabama and had never heard of the Magellan. Will report back when tasted.
I’ve not had Magellan but do own Mahon. It is very intensely pine-juniper driven. To the max. I think it’s fun now and again, but it’s not going to be everyone’s favorite and there are some mixed views from this group about its enjoyability. It is very driven by the pine/juniper note. You’ll immediately know what I mean. Monolithic comes to mind.
Had both of these last night and wanted to put in some follow up notes. The Elrick has a sweet licorice note with the juniper and floral notes. It is quite smooth and a well made gin. The sweet licorice was worth the supplemental note, though, and made it really stand apart from the Hapusa. I had the Elrick second.
The Hapusa is so dry. The savory turmeric, coriander, anise seed notes are dominant, and the tangy lime leaf note keeps things high pitched but to me it is the dryness of this gin that makes it unique. It is an almost odd mouthfeel on a gin and tonic. It’s savory herbaceousness makes for a unique G&T, and a good one on a very hot day. Just not one that I think I want very often. Certainly not a go-to type of gin.
What was fascinating about drinking these back to back, besides just about everything after the little buzz set in, was that both show what I would describe very generally as licorice. But very different. Like a sweet black jelly bean tastes different than Absinthe. Or even how Arak tastes different than that pop you get from Aniseed when cooking. The Hapusa’s licorice not is dry and spicy. The Elrick sweet, like a black jelly bean or even some hybrid of a black jelly bean and a twizzler.
Two tastes now of the Mahon. Yes it is piney junipery. I would say right at the edge for a Martini. I do like Juniper flavor, so it is probably over the top for most people.
The Magellan is very nice. Similar to Citadelle. Makes a very smooth Martini. No hard edges just smooth and round flavors. It is a lovely shade of pale blue. Made a very nice smashed cucumber Gin and Tonic with the lite Fever Tree tonic water.
I had forgotten my last posts so I went through and reread the thread…fitting we are on the 12th page of this thread in its twelfth year of existence. ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
I am still working with my basic stash–NY Distilling Perry’s Tot & Sipsmith VJOP. I have seen lots of new gins popping up in the market and it’s hard to keep up.
Black Button has saturated the NYC market. I see their products everywhere.
My company has a few also in my drinking rotation:
We just started working with Tanglin Gin from Singapore. We carry the Orchid, Asian Craft, and the Black Powder. Orchid has hints of vanilla from the species of local orchid. Asian Craft is citrus focused and less junipery. The Black Powder is a Navy Strength with lots of juniper.
https://tanglin-gin.com/
Mirabeau is made from a grape distillate. The owner is from the UK, and they made a low alcohol wine for that market. The reverse osmosis machine gave them 500L of pure grape alcohol They tasted it and realized they had to do something with it. Therefore, gin. It’s a classic London style with a solid juniper backbone, the featured Provencal botanicals are rose petals, rosemary and lavender.
I love Mahon in a G&T, just delicious. I am a juniper fan, but for me it is too over the top for a Martini.
I thought it made a good Gin and Tonic as well. Added a splash of Rose’s as usual and it was delicious and refreshing. I thought the Juniper might be cloying, but it integrated well. Again, that’s me who likes the flavor.
Interesting, I bought Mahon when it first came to Ohio and thought it was fine but not expressive of any distinguished flavor? I’ll have to try it again since the tasting notes are piney which is a characteristic that I prefer. The price has gone way down here too, so looking forward to picking another up and revisiting.
Ordered a new Gin that arrived today, Komasa Gin from Japan. The angle is the Satsuma fruit which is apparently the smallest Mandarin (4cm) and there is zero doubt it plays the star central role here. It has a superb nose full of citrus and touch of spice and juniper. Ultimately the Satsuma takes over though and this really is an orange Gin. There is a troublesome perception (for me) of sweetness at points but it seems to finish dry and 98 proof (or more possibly) is needed for balance.
I can’t really recommend it as a straight up Gin unless a unique orange twist is of interest. Also When I ordered I also didn’t realize the bottle was 375ml so @double pricing it’s not something I’ll seek out again. Always fun to try though!
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I like these fruitier gins in things like a Negroni. But wouldn’t pay up for one. Brockman’s makes a nice Negroni and it has a reasonable price point.
I really appreciated your post because it was nice validation. The smell is really lovely, but it’s texture, perceived sweetness, and monolithic flavor make it a head scratcher for actually drinking any way but I guess on ice. Maybe an orange martini with a super thin orange wheel or dried orange peel garnish? It’s awful in a gin and tonic. Maybe medi tonic with an lemon garnish to cut the sweet syrupy texture?
I had Silks Gin and the new Hendricks Neptune, which is interesting. The Neptune is accurately labeled and has a hint of saline and herbaceousness that is reminiscent of the sea, but it has enough juniper and citrus to carry in a gin and tonic. A good, interesting gin. My favorite remains Orbium, which I think is masterful in a G&T. Least favorite emails Nocturne or whatever, which smelled like lavender and vanilla and reminded me, and not in a great way, of old lady relatives and their homes.
Silks Gin is alright. It’s a bit sweet and slightly dense in texture on the palate, with moderate juniper highlighted by sweet fruit and floral notes. Not punchy floral like Midsummer. Overall, not really great in a G&T due to a lack of refreshing pop, but could be good as a slightly sweeter cocktail or martini gin. It’s alright. Smooth enough.
Old Raj Red, a classic if you like a gin gin martini. Not a ton to say. It’s --in bold-- “Gin.”
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Alright….Medi-Tonic? Break that down for me 
Just for reference I pretty much always drink Gin in a short glass on lots of ice with just a splash of tonic. Very Gin forward you might say.
Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic. I’m not a fan, but maybe I should revisit.
I do not use it very often at all. Robert it’s somewhere in between classic indian tonic and club soda. The lighter less sweet and less bitter profile might help the Komatsu Satsuma gin strut a little without getting cloying and having the Indian Tonic flavor battle with the sweet orange note. Which for me is evidence of a gin that’s not really a gin of the type I’m typically looking for.
I’ve said it a number of times now, but Ki No Bi is an exceptional gin. It makes such good gin and tonics and martinis. Had a G&T last night when I got home, and the smooth complexity and citrus undercut are so fine. What a nice gin, especially with warm weather.
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Which tonic do you use with KNB?
I saw one “recipe” online for 1:2 gin:tonic (again, which tonic was not specified), with 0:5 parts green tea. That sounds “interesting.”
Ki No Bi SEI for the killer martini. This is the navy strength version.
Fever Tree Indian Tonic.
To try to get an even call on gins for my gin and tonics or martinis, I drink a small amount neat, and then make the same G&T basically every time. Fever Tree Indian, small slice of lime.
As for green tea, Kin No Bi has a green tea botanical version. I personally think that the added flavor of green tea ruins the gin, and I have had probably 2 drinks from the KNB Green Tea gin because I dislike it so much. That’s just a personal preference though. I know a lot of folks love the gunpowder tea note on Drumshanbo gin. I really am not a fan of that gin, so may just be a sensitivity to the gin/tea combo for me.
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