Presenting...Konik's Tail Vodka

I was first introduced to this vodka, unlike the majority of people, by someone other than owner/maker/marketer Pleurat. It was a friend and restaurant manager who said I had to try a martini with Konik’s Tail. It was good but we’d already had a bit of gin by then and didn't  think of it again. A few months later Pleurat rocks up to Selfridges Wine Shop, pulls out a table and starts offering tastings at the door. He certainly confused the other exhibitors who had waited months for their slot!

Then he turns up at one of my tastings. And again. And again. For one man, Pleurat is

everywhere. So almost 2 years after I first tried Konik’s Tail I was delighted to join Paul of Bespoke and Tonic to hear Pleurat tell his story officially. And what a story it was.

We were taken on a journey from his arrival in the UK in 1994, his first job at an Angus Steakhouse and apartment shared with his fellow pot washers to his move into bar tending and from there an –unexplained – dip in fortunes before he recreated himself, offered his expertise (on our sweeter Western palates) to some bigger vodka brands and was soon judging at competitions internationally all the while developing his own product ideas.

The result – 17 yers later Konik’s Tail was born. It seems that nothing was left to chance with dozens of waters tasted at every point along the water source for minerals, hard/soft levels and, like Martin Millers Gin, keeping it alive instead of stripping it of this character.

Pleurat told us that he spent 2 months living in each of the 6 grain fields in a tent – and through tasting the grains at every time of day and night in all weather – ended up choosing spelt, rye and wheat. These are distilled separately then blended.

Then it was the turn of the distilling process, tasting the consistency of all the brands he wanted to work with then negotiating to set up his production in a small part of their distillery. 250 trips to Poland later and 4 and ½ years Konik’s Tail was bottled and tested on the UK market, individual by individual until the recipe was declared perfect. Now there are 4,000 bottles made per batch.

So to the tasting – first pour some in your glass, swill and throw on the floor. We were in a basement with a low ceiling, it got messy. Then, like whisky, take a mouthful and chew, get it everywhere and then enjoy.

Next came dry martinis and then a cocktail with pepper, avocado and cucumber.

And the verdict: I started my passion for spirits with vodka on a night out in Leeds almost a decade ago. Since then, I have rather fallen out of love with the product, and enjoy the smoothness of potato products over anything else. I can certainly see the quality and interest in this vodka, with a spicy rye finish and very clean palate but with a round mouth feel too. Drink it over the rocks with a twist of lemon. Anything else and use another brand.

I cannot help but be drawn in by the passion. And there is nothing wrong with that. Pleurat has worked tirelessly to get where he is now and I think that alone deserves a toast for fighting back against the big boys. Cheers. 

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...Dr Adam Elmegirab Bitters

First of all, he is not a doctor. Sorry. 



Second, Adam came all the way from Aberdeen - bringing his accent with him (I've been in London too long) - to present the London Cocktail Society and I hope he felt it was worth it because we all really did have a great time, best event yet...


Thirdly, I have never been as tipsy as I was at this tasting so it may get vague towards the end. 


So, bitters... more than just for getting drunk?


I shall start with the bits and bobs of history that I wrote down, feel free to skip to the drinks underneath:


The original recipe for the bitters that Adam has spent years recreating exists in two places: New York where the bitters company was originally created and Mexico City at the Casa di Bokers. Used the past as a remedy for indigestion amongst other things, Adam has dug into the history of the creating family and the label (which he used to individually sign and glue on) reflects this work. 


So what are bitters? Essentially they are overproof spirits and botanicals. They can either be potable i.e. drinkable such as Campari or non potable i.e. used for flavour. Being the first new bitters company in 100 years the explanation of his product on setting up was no easy task! You see Adam is not distilling but needs a compound license to change the flavour of the base spirit...


How do I taste bitters? Try them on an ice cube, in a vodka cocktail or simply with soda water (or when cooking add Aphrodisiac to your chilli, Bokers to your chicken and Dandelion & Burdock to your lemon sorbet)


What is the inspiration? The Bokers was the original recipe and that Adam extended into Spanish bitters (with citrus and camomile) designed especially for a Spanish drinks competition, Dandelion & Burdock (citrus, ginger and anise too) from childhood drinks and Aphrodisiac bitters (cocoa, spice) were created to treat "Dickensian illnesses" for the Zetter Townhouse - a favourite of mine.


1500 bottles a month now go out to 18 different countries with more growth day by day!


For more info on this side see Adam's blog and how it all started at thejerrythomasproject.blogspot.co.uk


Lets get straight in with the drinks of the evening now:

#1 Caorunn Gin and Fentimans Tonic with Dandelion and Burdock bitters and an apple garnish :Liquorise notes, a little earthy and I got more juniper on this but may have been the gin


#2 Adnams Copper House Gin and Fentimans Tonic with Spanish bitters and a lemon garnish: Violets and citrus flavours were stronger and had more of a kick


#3 Adnams First Rate Finest Cut Gin and Fentimans Ginger Ale with Aphrodisiac bitters and a lime garnish: Fresh!


#4 "Horses Neck" Adnams Copper House Gin and Fentimans Ginger Ale with Bokers bitters and a lemon twist: Earthier


And a cocktail recipe for you to finish:

Highland Picnic


25ml Caorunn Gin
25ml Lillet Rouge
25ml Apple Juice
3 dashes of Dandelion & Burdock bitters


1) Shake with ice then top with lemonade
2) Garnish with fruit and mint or rosemary


Perfect alternative to Pimms

Presenting...The London Gin Club

The Star at Night. Heard of it? The bar is in an unfortunate position just now as a train network is being built down the street effectively cutting off any passing trade but it was packing Friday past (30th March) as a rather special launch was taking place...the launch of The London Gin Club.

The Star's owner, Julia, is a gin aficionado. They stock over 40 gins and also do these great little packs to make your own martinis or other gin based cocktails at home with glasses, stirrers and all necessary spirits.  If you fancy signing up - its free! - you get the following benefits:

• A 5% discount off purchases of premium gin at Gerry’s of Old Compton Street, Soho.

• A London Gin Club allegiance card, which will reward you for your commitment to gin.

• A monthly bulletin keeping you abreast of gin news, gin reviews, events at the bar and snippets of gin history.

• Priority booking for master classes, entertainment nights and gin related events held at The Star at Night.

So the venue itself is a cute little affair with wooden tables and chairs packed into the ground floor and walls plastered with old drinks posters and a spiral stair case leading down to a Gordon's Wine Bar type basement with a curved brick cellar - white washed give more light - and about 10 further tables. 

I look forward to seeing how this progresses in the months to come, and hope that they offer an alternative view to gin and enhance the upcoming scene (including Juniper Society) rather than competing directly.

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

Presenting...Pisco and Arrack (I know, what?!)

Callooh Callay’s first Tasting Tuesday of 2012 was a little off the cuff, a change from the polished brand ambassadors who know frankly everything you throw at them. But this was new territory for me and as a virgin Pisco/Arrack taster I had no idea what I would find in my glass.

We started with Ceylon Arrack, here are the facts:

-          spirits distilled from coconut appendage sap caught in clay pot

-          takes 5 to 6 tress to get enough sap to distill for one bottle

-          the guys climbing up the tress for your drink are called toddy tappers

-          this version comes from Sri Lanka though there are various national versions

-          it starts fermenting almost immediately with no yeast added due to climate

Ceylon has been in production since 1924 and is produced using the continuous still method. There is no set aging but average is 3 years in Sri Lankan wood. This is dense and impenetrable, similar to using steel. It does not impart anything but allows the product to harmonise and mellow.

Colour: pale straw

Nose: slightly meaty, powerful, almost old claret like, spicy

Palate: slightly meaty, malty, strangely fresh

Mixed with coconut water: palate softens, adds sweetness but nose becomes even stronger

It is not like anything I have had before, almost incomparable, but I am not sure that I will be ordering this at a bar anytime soon but if you fancy trying it mix with ginger ale

Then we moved onto Aba Pisco, this one coming from Chile and alternative versions from Bolivia and Peru:

-          distilled from wine of Muscat grapes

-          Aba is only made with the juice – no skin, no stalks

-          similar to cognac or grappa

-          takes 10 kg grapes to make one bottle

So this spirit is dsitlled twice to 60-70% and is allowed two months to settle and breath; French oak aging is now going on within the Aba brand. It is then diluted (as opposed to distilled like in Peru) down to 40%.

Colour:White

Nose: Floral, grapey like a Southern France sweet wine, honey, pear, honeysuckle

Palate: Spicey from alcohol, grapey, melon, honeysuckle, honeyed pear, soor ploom notes

If you fancy trying this one what about a Pisco Sour

3 parts Pisco

1 1/2 parts lemon juice
1 - 2 tbsp sugar

Add all ingredients to a mixer with ice. Shake well (until ice is melted) and serve

Many thanks to http://www.calloohcallaybar.com/ for putting this on

Presenting…Havana Club Rum (photos to follow)

Last Tuesday I returned to the scene of the crime – Callooh Callay – for another of their fabulous Jub Jub member tasting evenings. Actually I have always been remarkably well behaved at this bar; with it being one of my favourites I would hate to lose my privileges! And it remains one of my favourites as I arrived early especially to enjoy one of their fabulous scotch eggs, this time accompanied by surprisingly tasty tomato ketchup popcorn and predictably excellent “Fine and Dandy”, or figgy pudding as described in the menu.

So onto the main event with the glamorous Meimi, a self expressed “Scuban” – a Scottish Cuban. She was keen for us to try not only the different rum expressions but to put them in cocktail context and to add to food to really think about flavour pairings. Some facts:

• Rums are aged in a Solera System, an idea imported from Jerez, Spain
• The barrels go through Wild Turkey Bourbon and Scotch distilleries before arriving in Cuba
• The liquid, when it comes straight off the still, is called Aguardiente – firewater
• If you want to test the quality of dark rum, coat a wine glass with rum and leave upside down on the table for 20 minutes, when you return it should smell of rum, rather than distinct blocks of flavour

Havana Club 3 Year Old

-          in a beetroot daiquiri

-          served with stilton and walnut

It smelt fresh and almost grassy

It tasted like root beer, slightly medicinal and developed caramel notes with time but retained fresh nose

Smooth and good length

Havana Club Especial

-          Cuba libre

-          Plantain crisps

It smelt like caramel and nutmeg

It tasted like vanilla, green apple and spice

It was smoother, heavier and longer retaining grassiness at the end

Havana Club 7 Year Old

-          rich daiquiri

-          grilled tropical fruit and parma ham with spices

It smelt like 1&2 – caramel and fresh grass

It tasted a bit like damp earth (in a good way)

We should be picking up dried fruit, bitter chocolate, coffee, sweet tobacco – I didn’t!

One to drink straight due to elegance, to quiet for cocktails?

Havana Club Seleccion de Maestros

-          straight

-          with an orange flavoured chocolate

Unblended 10 year old aguardiente with needs all 6 blenders to agree on quality and style before it can be released, rare and clearly more expensive

It smells like fresh caramel, coffee and orange

It tastes like fire and has more bite but a smooth finish

Now if you want to go all out, look for Havana Club Maximo Rum at £1500 a bottle. With only 1000 bottles a year we’d all by lucky to ever try this.

Great night had, again. Thanks!