From Colorado’s Method & Muse Spirits comes their self described cocktail gin. While I think they all work well in the right cocktail, Bergamot Dreams Gin is a workhorse contemporary style, citrus led gin featuring bergamot, orange and tea.
Tasting notes
Aroma: Warm and citrus led, bitter orange stars— but with hints of coriander, mandarin and warmed tea. As it sits, the citrus volatilizes and it becomes a bit more tea forward.
Flavor: The tea gives Bergamot Dreams a botanical profile that feels more numerous than the amount on the label. There’s some woody, earthy notes— even a hit of smoke and char behind orange and grapefruit.
The bergamot is out front here. As it settles on the palate it becomes a bit earthier with tea notes leading. Hints of cedar, bitter orange and a deep juniper note with the slightest hint of rosemary.
Finish: Rather dry and quite warm, with a long echo of black tea leaves and grapefruit pith
Cocktails and suggested serves
Bergamot Dreams Gin can be used as a workhorse citrus forward mixing gin. I find that while the tea comes through, it does so more as an earthy, woody note.
I think it was great in a gin and tonic but the citrus is bold enough for a good gin and soda. If you’re a fan of citrus and cola (and gin and cola) as a mixed drink it works there as well.
In the Negroni, bitter orange and a hint of earthy tea comes out. It’s quite nice.
In the Martini, the warmth took over— and I wasn’t sure the Dry Vermouth paired as much as it clashed with the part of the palate that Bergamot Dreams Gin focused its flavor on. While the citrus was a nice add to a Last Word, I thought that again it paired less well with herbal mixers. The Chartreuse and Maraschino overpowered the part of the palate where the gin focused its flavor. They weren’t bad— but they weren’t the best way to celebrate the gin’s flavor.
Overall, Bergamot Dreams Gin
This is a fun contemporary style citrus forward gin that gets a lot of depth from its use of tea as a botanical— it’s botanically dense and accessible at the same time.
Bartenders will find it easy to mix with and I think it was at its best in mixed drinks with simple mixers, and the Negroni. Bergamot Dreams Gin is a fun contemporary gin that will appeal to citrus lovers, though some fans of classic styles will wish there was a touch more juniper.