Five Limited-Release Gins to Try
From shiraz-blended to whiskey barrel-aged.
Australia has always championed innovation in its agricultural pursuits, with our land — and its unique flora and fauna — intrinsically linked to our national identity. Indeed, geographic isolation has meant that the over one million different native species of flowering plants are unique to our landscape and unlike plants in any other part of the world.
It's this innovation that distillers from all around the country are tapping into, creating bespoke and limited-edition spirits that are uniquely Australian in flavour. With that in mind, here's five gins from around the country you should try before they're gone for good (or until next year's plants are in season).
ARCHIE ROSE x HORISUMI WINTER GIN
The second release in the Archie Rose x Horisumi collection, this winter gin conjures up the essence of winter through its grassy and herbaceous notes, while also showcasing slightly sweet hints of jasmine, white grapefruit and a delicate line of sea spray. It's a harmonious unification of Japanese and Australian flavours, highlighting locally grown ingredients including Tasmanian kombu and Fuji apples, and also using sencha and genmaicha teas in the distillation blend.
"We experimented with a wide range of ingredients that included trialling multiple varieties of seaweed distillate including nori, wakame and different types of kombu before settling on a Tasmanian harvested and cured example," explains Archie Rose master distiller Dave Withers. Like its previous release, only 2000 bottles have been made, with the first 200 hand wrapped in a traditional Japanese furoshiki wrap featuring the individual bottle number and winter kanji script.
FOUR PILLARS BLOODY SHIRAZ GIN 2017
Can't decide if you want a glass of red wine or a gin and tonic tonight? Don't worry, Four Pillars is familiar with this common dilemma and has come up with a solution. Meet the Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin, a rare dry gin blended with premium shiraz grapes from the Yarra Valley.
With the 2017 wine vintage in the Yarra proving particularly cooler, this has created a more savoury aromatic style of gin, along with a lighter, more ruby-like colour than its previous incarnation. Expect flavours of fresh pine needles and incredible spice, and a peppery, dense raspberry character. The palate is lovely and sweet, with long juniper and spice characters to finish.
DASHER AND FISHER MOUNTAIN, OCEAN AND MEADOW GIN
Based in north-western Tasmania, Southern Wild Distillery is the new kid on the block but has come out in full force, with three very unique expressions of the Tasmania landscape: Mountain, Meadow and Ocean. The gins are named after the two wild rivers, Dasher and Fisher, and are carefully crafted by local distiller George Burgess.
Each gin is uses anywhere between 11 to 15 individual botanicals sourced from passionate local growers, with all three gins featuring the 'Tassie trio' of botanicals: native pepperberry (Mountain), lavender (Meadow) and wakame (Ocean). The Mountain gin is earthy with hints of pepper and licorice root, the Meadow tipple conjures up images of springtime with lavender, rosemary and just a hint of sage, and rounding out the trio is Ocean, which is like plunging your head straightforward into the sea thanks to its flavour profile of sea salt, nori and hints of jasmine flower.
KANGAROO ISLAND SPIRITS OLD WHISKY BARREL GIN
Love whisky? Love gin? You're in luck. Kangaroo Island Spirits have taken their most well-known gin, the Wild Gin, distilled it using native Kangaroo Island juniper (myoporum insulare) and aged it for two months in Australian whisky barrels. The process gives the booze a softer mouthfeel, with vanilla, persimmon, clove and amber flavours on the tongue.
Making all of their projects in small batches, with every one of their spirits hand bottled and labelled, attention to detail shows in the quality of the KIS range. Think cold nights by a warm fireplace sipping this neat — or with one big ice cube — and you're headed on the right track for a great winter's night in.
MARGARET RIVER DISTILLING CO. GINVERSITY BOTANICAL GIN
Established in 2015 as the sister distillery to the famous Limeburner's Distillery in Albury, the Margaret River Distilling Co. created their first gin using carefully selected and handpicked botanicals. The likes of eucalyptus, lemon myrtle and boronia were chosen to reflect a unique native Australian recipe.
What makes this gin special and unique, however, is that every time it's made, each botanical is individually distilled and then infused together to create a distinctive aromatic style that is quintessentially Australian — like the smell of gumtrees or the fact that magpies always attack you in summer. This is your classic gin and tonic style tipple, perfect for sitting on a balcony trying to capture those last moments of the sun's rays listening to the kookaburras cry into the twilight.
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