Flavor Profile
Denver’s Mile High Spirits is a long standing member of Colorado’s craft gin community. They opened in 2011 and among their products at launch was their classic-style Denver Dry Gin. And it has always stood out to me for its clear and coherent vision— an American distilled alternative to other classic style stalwarts. Though they’re far from the only one in the states doing this kind of gin, Mile High’s Denver Dry Gin continues to stand as an excellent example of classic gin and a counterpoint to anyone who things that America is a wild west where Juniper is a forgotten ingredient in gin.
Denver Dry Gin is also notable for being entirely distilled on a glass still. It starts with a base distilled from corn and opts for a traditional botanical bouquet heavily skewed towards juniper. Juniper, juniper and more juniper.
Tasting Notes
The nose of Denver Dry Gin is pine and juniper. Hints of pine blossom and terpey spruce bud emerge. Juniper is far and alone the star here.
The palate exhibits a softer side of juniper. It’s round and soft. Denver Dry Gin coats the palate with delicate notes of cracked dry juniper. There’s a gentle citrus and pepper flavor early on the palate. Soft lemon zest combines with juniper to stretch out a long and flavorful finish.
Cocktails
Denver Dry Gin is a delightful gin for making a wide range of cocktails. I find that the juniper comes through in nearly all applications— from a 50:50 Martini to a Gin and Tonic, juniper remains the star and drives the flavor. It’s bolder and more single-minded than other great classic style gins such as Temple Distilling’s Chapter One Gin. This makes it an even easier sell as an American distilled alternative to Tanqueray or Gordon’s.
Overall, Denver Dry Gin
Denver Dry Gin is a beautiful, crisp juniper-forward gin for the classic gin fan in your life. It’s a great gin for any cocktail or mixed drink you’re looking to make. Bartenders will delight in its clarity and utility behind the bar— suitable as a plug and play for anything they’re working on.
Highly Recommended.
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