Flavor Profile
Grays Peak— the one referenced in Grays Peak Gin — is one of ten highest summits in the American Rocky Mountains. It towers over 14,000 feet and is among one of the “easiest 14,000+ foot hikes.*” Located in the state of Colorado….
….might leave you surprised that Grays Peak is located nearly 1,000 miles from Princeton, Minnesota, home of Grays Peak Spirits [located just North of Minneapolis]. Astute drinkers might recognize Princeton, Minnesota as also being home of United States Distilled Products/Phillips Distilling, one of the nation’s biggest distilleries and producers of over 100+ brands. Grays Peak is among them.
Original Grays Peak Gin** is distilled entirely from Corn, charcoal filtered and then redistilled with a rather traditional blend of botanicals including two citruses and cubeb pepper.
Tasting Notes
Pleasant, classic nose with a hint of lemon/orange candy sweetness. Plenty of juniper and a bit of angelica and licorice. Nice, though a bit strong (ethanol) wise on the nose. Overall, it hits all the marks a classic gin should hit.
The palate is a little more spice-forward than the nose would have suggested. Pine resin, sharp, almost bitter pepper notes with a tinge of cubeb and coriander, the finish is sharp and slightly tinny. I’m getting suggestions of coriander and cubeb again here, with a long finish that’s slightly chalky with a touch of bitter orange zest and stone. The gin is exceptionally dry, but in an unusual, slightly plastic way. It’s almost as if all of those notes from the nose evaporate and none of them make it into the gin. It’s faintly classic, but that’s the most I can say about it.
Cocktails
A little bit of tonic water covered up some of the less desirable notes. It makes an okay Gin and Tonic, but I think a strong flavoring might be needed, take for example the Gin and Juice. Other than that, I found that the same off notes from the tasting neat might be at best covered up. Fortunately, the alcohol still works.
Overall
One of the most disappointing gins I’ve had in quite some time. Rife with a bland unappealing palate, particularly past the top notes, and a rough, chalky finish it’s hard for me to really recommend this gin. It’s— to be totally honest— not working for me. Perhaps it’s the batch*** because in this modern era of gin selection, it’s very hard to make it with a gin that just doesn’t cut it.
[Footnotes]
*Called “fourteeners” by climbing enthusiasts, easy is a relative term.
** Note, Grays Peak also has a “the Alchemist’s Blend” version, which is not the one reviewed here.
*** Batch No. 39 reviewed here
I liked it
Makes a lousy gin and tonic. Like the reviewer, I find myself pondering which other mixers might fix it. Can’t reconmend it.
Makes a lousy gin and tonic. Like the reviewer, I find myself pondering which other mixers might fix it. Can’t reconmend it.
I found it very nice in a dirty martini.
I liked it!
Makes a helluva dirty dry martini for the price!
Ratio 4/1 with a French vermouth…
I strongly disagree. I have been drinking gin before you millennials were born.Don’t be a pompous jerk. This is lovely gin. I also love Dripping Springs Gin… so don’t even go there.
I liked it !
I think you should attempt again. Maybe you had a bad bottle. I was quite surprised by how pleasant this gin is. Citrus and Herbal really cam through. It is way nicer than some of the other Gin’s you gave a higher review of.
Excellent w grapefruit, in a negroni, or a fever tree indian tonic.
It makes a pretty unique gimlet, the spices play really well with the lime more so than a lot of other gins I’m tried. Though, that’s about the only cocktail I’ve mixed that it goes really well with. Everything else it just sort of… Exists? If that makes sense.