Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, 70cl

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Drumshanbo Gunpowder Gin explodes with flavor on the palate. Citrus once again dominates. This time its grapefruit. Juniper and green tea are present mid-palate: the juniper herbaceous and bright, the green tea calling to mind Jasmine green tea, as you might get before sushi at a Japanese restaurant. Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin is quite literally a “slow gin.” Despite how efficiently gin can be produced, Rigney intentionally slows the process, combining the two major gin distilling methods. Rigney combines vapor distillation of fresh Chinese lemons, kaffir limes, and Oriental grapefruits, along with the intriguing gunpowder tea, with the pot-still distillation of eight other botanicals ranging from Chinese star anise to local Drumshanbo meadowsweet. The gin is then rested for up to 30 days, allowing the oils to settle, after which it undergoes a very light cold filtration. It’s an extra step, but it’s essential for Rigney’s ideal flavor profile: Certain botanicals go bitter if you boil them. Add to that the fact that it’s all done in medieval-style copper stills (the increased copper surface area acts to “purify” the flavors) and you’ve got a serious labor of love. Every precious drop of Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin is slow-distilled by hand and proudly bottled, sealed, and labelled by the team in the distillery. 7. You’re Drinking a Love Story. A seasoned world traveler, Rigney might have settled his spirits venture anywhere on the map, but he chose Drumshanbo because the cozy Irish hamlet was the same town where his mom and dad first met — his dad, Seamus, was the auditor who took the train down from Dublin, and his mum Mary worked in the accounts department in the Arigna Mines in the 1950s. (Yes, if you fall in love in the less-than-Disney-perfect setting of a working coal mine, chances are it’s the real thing.) 8. You’re Also Supporting Small-Town Economic Recovery This single estate spirit is made with great attention to detail from grain harvested from the estate. Once it has been turned into alcohol, it is used along with 11 botanicals in a triple distilling process in Classic London Dry Style. The result is a gin that tastes uncommonly good thanks to an uncommon marquee ingredient, combines drinking traditions from cultures 5,000-plus miles apart, pays homage to a love story when two paths crossed in the local iron mines (see No. 7), and, incidentally, helped one small Irish town called Drumshanbo find new economic opportunity.

It’s a story of East meets West along with a few places in between. And in this review, I’ll tell you exactly why the end result is not only harmonious, but Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish has earned a seat at the table of Super Power Gins. Bombay Sapphire tastes closer to a London Dry than Gunpowder. It is even more citrus forward with the lemon leading the way. Its nose is more floral and earthy than herbal. It has more heat in the finish with balanced citrus and spice. Grapefruit is the most recommended garnish so if you are partial to that citrus, this is the gin for you. What type of Gin is Gunpowder? Gunpowder gin is made by steeping green tea in neutral spirits. The tea is then distilled along with the spirits.

Slowly dried Chinese green tea is blended with eight botanicals and three types of citrus to create a smooth gin with bold and fresh flavors. New Western Gin: This is really a catch-all term for newer gins that don’t fit into the previous categories. But the through line is that these gins, while still using juniper as a key ingredient, are flavored with a wide range of botanicals, and often use ones that are grown locally to showcase the flavors of where they are made. Gin isn't just from England and the U.S. Distilleries all over the world produce versions that try to capture the character of where they're made. There are three main categories. Distilled gin is produced from a mash of grains in the same way that whiskey might be. Redistilled gin is a neutral grain spirit that has been distilled a second time. And compound gin is a neutral grain spirit that’s been infused with flavors (this is the least common style). While you can use nearly any botanical you can think of to flavor gin, juniper is the key ingredient. There are two ways to infuse the botanical flavors into gin—either by macerating them in the spirit, or suspending them in what is essentially a large tea bag above the spirit and infusing the gin with vapors. Then there are a few different styles of gin to consider. London Dry Gin: The old guard brands mostly distill London Dry-style gin in the UK, although it does not actually have a geographical indicator. The main rules of this designation are that juniper must be the dominant flavor (as it is for all gin) and botanicals must flavor the gin during distillation, with no flavor or color added afterwards. Brands like Beefeater and Tanqueray are classics for a reason, but the world of gin has expanded enormously over the past 20 years as new distilleries tinker with the formula. Gunpowder Irish gin is a type of gin that is made in Ireland. It is made with botanicals that include juniper berries, coriander, angelica root, and orris root. It is also made with gunpowder tea, which gives it its unique flavor.

The green tea in gunpowder gin gives the spirit a light, herbal flavor. The tea also imparts a light green color to the gin. For the final botanical bouquet, Rigney chose 12 botanicals, fruits, and spices, including the aforementioned green tea as well as ingredients like Moroccan orris root, Indian cardamom, and Macedonian juniper. Even with a mini-U.N. spice cabinet, Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin throws in one more highly local ingredient: meadowsweet from the town of Drumshanbo itself. Meadowsweet lends a delicate floral sweetness to the overall bouquet, complementing the green tea notes. 4. The Drumshanbo Mascot is a Drinker, Too. From the East – Slowly dried Gunpowder tea from China, caraway seed, star anise, cardamom and lemon from India, kaffir lime from Cambodia and oriental grapefruit from Indonesia. Grapefruit is so good with this gin, that it makes a Gin Paloma a must! We did a full recipe and video here: Gunpowder Paloma Recipe Gunpowder Gin and JuiceRecords the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. The Botanist is similarly complex but has a subtler nose. It features pine, roots and woody notes and has a bigger, warmer finish than Drumshanbo Gunpowder. Fans of citrus-forward gins like New Amsterdam are apt to find Gunpowder Gin a pleasant, if not one-note alternative. It has the herbal complexity of bathtub style gins like New Deal Gin No. 1, but also the balance of old school favorites like Gordon’s and Plymouth. Below, you’ll find a mix of well-known and often missed Irish gin brands that are well worth considering. 1. Jawbox Classic Dry Gin Grapefruit is overwhelming the most favored garnish. I’ll also add that dried grapefruit wheel is splendid! Gunpowder Martini

The combination of botanicals though somewhat eccentric is well balanced. The green tea is at the fore. Gunpowder Gin does justice to its namesake. However, where this really stands out for me is how it balances the botanicals. Enough juniper for classic gin fans, but also heavy on the citrus and herbs, without overpowering each other.

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Who doesn’t like tea and jam? Gunpowder’s distinct tea flavor is a natural good pairing with fruit jams straight from your fridge. Gunpowder gin is a type of gin that is made with green tea. The tea is used as a flavoring agent and gives the gin a unique flavor. You could also mix your gunpowder gin with apple cider. The sweetness of the apple cider pairs well with the botanical flavors of the gin, and it makes for a festive drink to enjoy during the fall. The distiller recommends the best gin to vermouth ratio for Gunpowder is 4 to 1 and suggests grapefruit bitters in place of orange. I totally agree that Gunpowder and grapefruit are the winning combo.