Barr Hill Gin is produced by Caledonia Spirits – a Montpelier, Vermont based spirits company. They take pride in the fact that they are independent and distiller-owned, and aim to bring an agricultural focus to their spirits production. The Barr Hill brand includes their gin and vodka lineup, which are made using regional raw honey. Each of their spirits are made in small batches using custom stills. This particular bottle of Barr Hill Gin uses wild juniper, and is distilled once before being finished with the raw honey. Bottle Specs ❖ ABV: 45% ❖ Distillery: Caledonia Spirits ❖ Aging: N/A ❖ Price Point: moderate price My Tasting notes The nose […]
Rear Admiral Joseph’s London Dry Gin is produced by Glen Catrine Distillers – a United Kingdom based spirits producer. Based in Mauchline, Ayrshire, Scotland, Glen Catrine includes the Rear Admiral Joseph’s brand as part of their exports for the American grocery chain Trader Joe’s. Although they don’t disclose information about their production process, this particular bottle of London Dry Gin is advertised as an “original recipe”. It’s not specified what they mean by this, although one can deduce that it refers to one of Glen Catrine’s past gin products. Bottle Specs ❖ ABV: 43% ❖ Distillery: Glen Catrine Distillers ❖ Aging: N/A ❖ Price […]
Maior Gin is produced by Bodegas Suau – a Mallorca, Spain based spirits company. Founded in the mid 1800s, Suau is best known for their brandy, but have also produced rum, anisette, and other spirits throughout the years. This particular bottle of Maior Gin was added to the company’s lineup in 1919. It is made using fig leafs, rosemary, Sóller orange peel, and the usual juniper. Each botanical is distilled separately to maintain the components of the flavor. Bottle Specs ❖ ABV: 40% ❖ Distillery: Bodegas y Destilerías Suau de Mallorca S.A. ❖ Aging: N/A ❖ Price Point: moderate price My Tasting notes I began to take a whiff of this gin, and […]
Edinburgh Classic Gin is produced by Edinburgh Gin – a Scotland based spirits company that produces a variety of flavored gins in addition to their original “Classic” London Dry. As a brand, they take inspiration from the city of Edinburgh, in particular the sense of balance between tradition and creativity. Edinburgh Gin was founded in 2010 by the family-owned Spencerfield Spirit Company, which has since been acquired by Ian Macleod Distillers. Their new distillery, opened in December of 2024, promises a fully carbon neutral operation. This particular bottle of Edinburgh Classic Gin is made using neutral grain spirit and several botanicals […]
As a result of the spirits industry exploding over the last decade, a variety of players have introduced new spirits into the market. I’m personally most fascinated by affordable products from grocery store brands. I’ve had mixed results with other grocery store spirits, like Trader Joe’s Small Batch Vodka and Rum of the Gods, but I was still looking forward to checking out Signature Reserve Dry Gin. One thing these grocery store brands seem to all have in common is a lack of information. Signature Reserve is the brand used by grocery chains owned by Albertson’s. I wasn’t able to find many specific details about Signature Reserve Dry Gin, but […]