Presenting...G'Vine Gin

Last night, at The Juniper Society, French company G’Vine pitched their gin to two groups of ginthusiasts.

As we all know, France and Italy fight over the claim to have created gin though G’Vine make a good point in saying that Tuscany is a well known juniper source so it is very likely they were making it there, even if not the first to work out that grape based spirit + juniper = yum.

G’Vine are now based in Cognac, France, and use a base spirit made from the quite bland and acidic Ugni Blanc grape. Their gin is distilled in a Florentine still, often used in the perfume trade, and botanicals are infused in four batches for the juniper flavour, high notes, low notes and their unique selling point – since the rest of the botanicals are pretty normal - an infusion of the vine flowers. This has also inspired the name of their two gins:

#1 Floraison (40%)

Named after veraison, a key moment in the lifecycle of a vine when the leaves turn green to red before harvest.

Nose: lime, lots of lime and some floral notes

Palate: more lime, cardamom, very easy drinking with a hint of spice at the end

Mix: these flavours are gentle so simplicity is the key

 

#2 Nouaison (43.9%)

A higher ABV brings out different notes in the gin

Nose: more ginger and more juniper

Palate: More texture, almost creamy. More spice. More weight. Green spicy finish

So to conclude, not the most exciting gin. Described by the G’Vine team as a gin for gin drinkers and non gin drinkers. I beg to differ. Perhaps this is a good one for beginners but I feel other gins have more to contribute than this particular offering. Maybe its just my palate…

Presenting...Sloane's Gin

"A gin without peers"

"World's best gin and best white spirit as well as double gold at 2011 San Francisco competition"

At Juniper Society on Monday 26th March it was time to see what all the fuss was about. A bit of history on gin started the class and the more interesting bits were about Sloane himself. This 16th C. gentleman whom the gin is named after was a physicist and botanist, as well as a lifelong collector of botanicals. These were contributed to and led to the creation of British History Museum on his death and now, a gin. I wonder if he would be proud?!

Now the distilling company is Netherlands based and family owned. They but whole lemons and oranges into water baths for the flavour minus the bitter pith. The distillates are hand blended into the final product.

So to the taste and we started by having the distillates sprayed straight onto the tongue - cardamon was the most interesting with its spicy citrus notes - before trying the finished product, a lemon tinged liquid.

The nose offers - I thought - no more than a simple citrus though it was smooth in its quality, no burn coming out of the glass. The vanilla in the botanicals adds creaminess to the palate and coriander and angelica root beef up the spice at the front. There is also a floral, perfume style to it - but over all it did not stand out.

Perhaps I am just looking for something distinctive in the raft of gins that come out weekly and this did not knock me off my feet

Tip: Not one to drink with Fentimans, try a simple Schwepps G&T instead

Graphic Bar, Soho 17/20*

Location:

4 Golden Square

Website: http://www.graphicbar.com/

Visit: More often than I care to tell, mostly Monday evenings

To Note? Gin tastings by their Juniper Society on a Monday (almost weekly, check their website) are free and well worth popping in for, but be warned, you’ll get hooked!

Scores

Ambiance 3/5

Design 5/5

Drinks 4/5

Staff 5/5

Extra LBS star: Oh go on, * for the Juniper Society

I do not feel I can properly judge the ambiance here. My trips tend to be a Monday evening, the least popular night of the week (?) and offering the almost weekly gin tasting to us gin enthusiasts, with a fairly regular crowd who love introducing new people to this experience too.

The design is great; practical, large and with plenty of seating, and tables, as they offer a decent menu being an all day bar so covering lunches through to close. My brother had to be restrained from stealing the posters off their walls and their corrugated iron garage doors running along one wall remind me of my old school gym.

Drinks, well, if you don’t like gin it is not a problem but you will have found paradise if you do. These come by the glass or the small bucket – literally – and the bar men like to have fun. They will mix up all sorts of flavours on your command and are constantly working with the guys they stock (100’s) to develop unique recipes to bring out the best from the varying botanicals.

And the staff, Sarah and Adam I salute you. This chirpy pair run these Monday sessions flawlessly and always with a good pinch of fun. We’re not here for a lecture, we’re here to enjoy new gins and if we learn in the process…bonus!

If you are out in Soho and you just want something a little more…normal, this is the place to go. And book ahead into Polpo for a great culinary treat after.