Flavor Profile
Dale and Vicky McQueen’s line of Scottish distilled McQueen gins deviate a bit from the beaten path. Many of their releases sound like they could be from That Boutique-y Gin Company. Adventurous and bold, their line of gins embody signature botanicals and signature flavors like no other. Among their current offerings are a Mocha Gin, a Chocolate Orange Gin, Chocolate Mint, Spiced Orange, Chili— and of course Chocolate Cherry Gin.
Tasting Notes
The nose of Chocolate Cherry Gin has lots of classic gin aroma. Juniper and citrus, it’s only as it breathes that notes of dark cocoa and cherry cordials* begin to emerge.
The palate early has citrus rind and juniper in it. It comes across as quite classic before the citrus starts to suggest orange chocolate candies and finally milk chocolate towards the finish. The cherry is rather subtle in Cherry Chocolate Gin. The chocolate is the most prominent of the signature pair; however, I find that the primary flavor is still the regular gin.
A trickle of coriander, angelica and generic baking spice at the end. The finish is creamy with a gin like dryness that rapidly deteriorates into a flat astringency.
Cocktails
Chocolate Cherry Gin might be a bit more subtle than some of the other That Boutique-y Gin Company releases. Chocolate Cherry Gin is good in a Gin and Tonic or Bronx Cocktail. However, you’ll be hard-pressed to get a lot of the chocolate cherry flavor in either.
Overall
McQueen/That Boutique-y Gin Company both trade on bold, often quite literal flavors. Chocolate Cherry is subtle and somewhat of a let down. While a perfectly serviceable gin, it could use some boldness and further emphasis on the signature botanical accord.
*What I call Cherry Cordial specifically refers to is one of my favorite Christmas candies, where cherries are dipped in chocolate.
** This was a review of Chocolate Cherry Gin Batch 1.