Flavor Profile
Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin is a rare specimen indeed. It is distilled with whole oranges.
Further, Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin establishes itself as quintessentially Australian with its use of some local ingredients. Tasmanian Pepperberry (also appears in Botanic Australis and Never Never’s Southern Strength) adds a warmth and spice. Again, lemon myrtle makes an appearance as a stand in for traditional lemon.
The rest of the botanicals includes several contemporary style gin standbys, like cardamom and lavender. All are distilled on a base of local grain spirit and diluted with local Yarra Valley water.
Tasting Notes
The aroma was enticing with a slight “Asian cooking” sort of feel to it. Sweet Vietnamese Cinnamon combined with pink peppercorns and Mineola orange. Juniper is mild and light. The other botanicals are the stars.
Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin has a luscious mouthfeel. Sipped on its own, it has an appealing texture. Early, makrut lime peel, with rich fleshy oranges and a gentle baking spice accord. Juniper is more prominent on the back and finish. It has peppery facets with mark the finish with a sharp left towards spice-forward.
Overall, Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin is one of those gins that takes the sipper on a journey from botanical to botanical. On its own, it has a lot of character worth exploring.
Cocktails
Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin can be a more difficult mixer. The complex flavor profiles lend itself more readily to gin-forward drinks and cocktails in the spirit of the Martini. That being said, the character complements Vermouth brilliantly, making Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin a great choice for the Martinez or Negroni as well.
Overall, Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin
Fans of contemporary style gins who can forgive the paltry presence of juniper here will find a lot to like. Beautifully made with a lot of bright, clear botanical character. The evolution on the palate is clear and gradual. Four Pillars Distillery have made an ideal sipping gin.
Those who prefer a more juniper-forward offering or who aren’t big on citrus/spice forward contemporary gins are advised to look elsewhere.
Highly Recommended in its category.
Awards
Awful gin
Worse for this price range
Having bad headache
This price range just go for Hendricks
My brother was the manager of the biggest Gin bar in London, so I know a bit about Gin.
This four pullers rare gin is probably one of the worst fins I have ever consumed, I taste the gin before it is mixed with anything, I considered it rough, sorry but the gin manufacturers in Australia are looking for an income before scotch and we don’t compare to the home of scotch either.
I find this gin to have an anise/licorice flavor in the finish. A flavor I did not see mentioned in the review/notes & not a flavor I find to my liking in Gin. I thought it lent OK to a Martini, but not with olives. With a lemon twist. A lime garnish/twist/squeeze would probably compliment this gin better in a Martini. It did not do so well in Martinez. I’m not sure if I like the Martinez as a cocktail (Dolin Sweet Vermouth & Christiani Maraschino is what I mixed it with). I just made one for the first time with this gin. Not sure if I didn’t like this gin in the cocktail or I just wouldn’t like the cocktail regardless of gin.
I just tried it in a gin and tonic (Fever Tree Premium Indian). I always cut my G&T’s with soda (1/2 Tonic, 1/2 soda) so as to cut down the sugar intake. I think this gin makes a Very good G&T with a good quality tonic. The tonic does well to mitigate that anise/licorice flavor. I will try it in a Negroni next.
This is really nice, thanks for sharing!
I purchased a bottle of Four Pillars zero alcohol ‘Bandwagon’ which purports to include Juniper Orange Lemon Myrtle and Botanicals.
The label did not mention ‘Water’ except in the fine print! But that is the predominant taste. This product, at $50 a bottle is a disgrace. In. my opinion it would be overpriced at $10! It is clearly predominantly water.
I bought the product because of the reputation of Four Pillars Gin.
As a result of what in my view is a cynical marketing exercise by Four Pillars Gin I will never buy any of your products and will make sure that everyone I know is aware of the nature of this product so that they won’t be tempted ‘to get on the Bandwagon’.
Because of the processes involved— and the solubility of certain organic molecules in water and ethanol respectively— it’s very hard to use the same botanicals and have the same flavor when making a N/A product.
I encourage you to think of them as two completely different things. Even though they share the same brand name, chemically it’s impossible to represent the expressions of those botanicals identically across the two different processes.