Goodman’s Gin is a newly released small-batch gin from the Netherlands: a partnership between Paul and Gerda de Goede and a historic artisan distiller.
Goodman’s Gin was inspired by the Florida Keys— thousands of miles from Europe— and is part of an emerging pattern of brands being designed to “drink neat,” but also “mix well with everything.”
We’ve been drinking gin neat here for years, and its exciting to have more and more folks paying attention to that space, though behind the bar gin is still a cocktail spirit.
Tasting Notes
Aroma: juniper, sweet orange rind, a little bit of a cassia and grains or paradise as well. There’s a faint spicy, sort of sweetness in the background here.
Flavor: The palate is strong and assertive, especially upon first sip. Juniper with a little bit of heat up front, quickly spreading to the sides.
The heat is a little bit bracing, but the flavors of the other botanicals begin to shine through. Cinnamon, lemon rind present in the mid notes. Angelica comes on more strongly towards the low-mids.
FinishL The finish of Goodman’s Gin is rife with bright violet, lavender and a bit of surprising sweetness. It then finishes crisp and dry, some juniper on the edges of the palate, a touch oily as it blends in with a faint afterglow of heat.
Cocktails
We improvised on the neat slightly. With a couple drops of water, we were able to get a little bit more of the floral hints on the nose, but it fades quite quickly before the juniper comes through more brightly. The palate brings a bit more juniper, and there’s an amplified spicy/sweet finish in the mid/low notes, reading a touch spice cake or spice bread.
We began with a 5:2 variation on the martini with a dash of orange bitters. The herbal Vermouth dominates at first, before the gin comes in and brings a similar finish/flavor profile as it had neat. Juniper, cassia, grains of paradise, angelica, and a touch of heat.
After going through our cocktail books for some new drinks to try a gin in, we went to an old stand-by which is becoming a recurring drink here: the gimlet. Sweet lime at first, but an earthy depth compliments and rounds out he background, with cinnamon, a little bit of acidic lime leaning towards limeade at the conclusion. Quite nice and recommended.
Overall, Goodman’s Ginmakes a good Gin and Tonic as well, and we felt that the botanicals of Goodman’s Gin seemed to shine through no matter what we threw at it.
Overall, Goodman’s Gin
It’s a nice gin. I think it’s a great mixing gin, and it stood up well in every cocktail we put it in. Despite it having a little bit of burn, I think the botanicals and flavor-profile warrant a closer look. It’s a nice gin and a worthy addition to your bar cabinet.
Congratulations Paul!
Your gin is absolute one of the best I’ve ever tasted!
Kind regards
Han van de Wouw
Looking forward to my bottle, ordered at the distributor in Holland, Patrick Goody
You mention a partnership with an unnamed ‘historic artisan distiller’. The tuxedo-guy logo on the label leads me to believe that this partnership involves Corsair Artisan. It reminds me of the logo on my bottle of Corsair in my bar cabinet.
A delicious taste in a beautiful bottle. I love it.
Kind regards,
Remco Hofman
Great description! I am working through some now in a similar battery of (small) cocktails and I find your descriptions very helpful. I expect good things when I get to the Monkey Gland…
Glad you’re enjoying it. Let me know how the Monkey Gland is. I say it every time you mention it, but that’s a cocktail I always seem to forget when mixing them up.
Thanks so much again!
I’m so glad to try this gin as is simply THE best. What I like the most is the fact that you can really taste the natural ingredients. Very nice and unique flavor and I highly recommend it to try. Looking forward for the next bottle 😉 All the best, kim
A state of the Art Gin. Making such a superior gin, is an Art on itself.
I tried Goodman’s Gin in The Hague, a truly great gin with plenty of juniper & a crisp dry finish. Great for classic G+T
Normally I’m a rum drinker so gin is a bit out of my comfort zone. After trying some other brands I was a bit skeptical at first but after spending a couple of evenings with this Goodmans gin I can say I found a new liquor I really enjoy. I drink it straight or with ice but it is very good and refreshing as well if you mix it with tonic. With ginger ale or even bitter lemmon it is brilliant as well, adds a lot to the drink (floral tones mainly in the aftertaste). This will be the only gin in my cabinet from now on.