Flavor Profile
BVD Borovicka harvests the juniper from the nearby Slovenský Kras National Park and Slovak Paradise National Park. The berries are manually picked in the late autumn. Similar to the philosophy behind ice wine, BVD chooses them just after the first frost.
Borovicka’s technical file describing the process by which all Borovicka must adhere to, does not prescribe the nature of the base spirit other than “juniper” and “grain.” BVD Borovicka uses rye spirit along with the juniper.
Tasting Notes
The nose of BVD Borovicka is warm with notes of grain. It has a character that slightly reminds me of gins like St. George’s Dry Rye.
Warm and spicy, I get notes of anise, fresh-baked bread, fennel seeds and mash room floor. It smells inviting, like the back of a distillery or brewery.
The palate is quite complex. Grain early, some echoes of spices mid-palate. The finish is quite long, quite warm, with a grainy, genever-like maltiness to it.
A lot of what you’re tasting in a Borovicka is from the base spirit. The rye base is front and present. But the mid-palate is where some of those illusory spice notes come to the fore. There’s a long throbbing echo of anise that holds court throughout the palate. BVD Borovicka’s long warm finish reminds me a bit of white dog whiskey with notes of cedar and hay.
There’s a slight hint of creaminess in here as well. On the palate, I would compare BVD Borovicka favorably to Few American Gin.
Overall
If this is your first introduction to the wonderful world of Borovicka, BVD’s offering is a familiar entry point especially for fans of genever, or holland-style gins.
It has a warm, inviting flavor. I could definitely recommend to sip it neat and to any gin fan looking for a new way to enjoy the flavor of juniper.
Recommended in its category.
International Gin Exchange
Since 2010, David T. Smith U.K. based gin writer— creator of Summer Fruit Cup and author behind 2018’s Tales of the Cocktail nominated Gin Tonica— has been sharing samples of spirits that I can’t obtain stateside.
Thanks to him for this sample of BVD Borovicka!
Awards
