Madrona Distillery Dry Gin is created using the London Dry process, on a base of wheat. The eleven botanicals are macerated for a day before distillation on a 200L still and further dilution with Cascade Mountain water. Distiller Tom Allan has been a long time gin fan, but developed the gin after his studies at Heriot Watt University in Scotland— him and his wife Anne started Madrona in 2022.
Their gin was recognized in 2024 at the San Francisco Spirits Competition, being awarded a gold medal.
Tasting notes
Aroma: Crisp and classic— juniper is center stage, with citrus and lemon especially alongside with hints of cassia, coriander and licorice in the low notes.
Flavor: Warming spices— especially cassia, cinnamon and a hint of allspice rise early on the palate. Moderately warm, the spices occupy center stage. Green, slightly resinous juniper is prominent on the mid-palate.
The spirit’s warmth continues to radiate as bitter orange zest, green juniper, and dry coriander powder hit at the end.
Madrona Distillery Dry Gin is a complex, evolving flavor profile that shifts on the palate after the sip.
Finish: Warm with a slight touch of coriander kissed pepperiness. The warmth recedes, letting the spice-led afterglow sit on the back of the palate.
Cocktails and suggested serves
The long evolving palate lends itself nicely to a Martini. Especially with the flavor profile seemingly leaving an opening for the herbaceous touch of Vermouth. Definitely a recommended cocktail.
I also enjoyed it in a Negroni, where the terpey juniper notes on the mid-palate shone nicely through.
Though some might describe it as a spice-forward, slightly contemporary gin, Madrona Distillery Dry Gin has a lot of potential as a workhorse mixer. It pairs nicely with florals, citrus, and herbaceous drinks. Like the Arsenic and Old Lace, White Lady, or Last Word (to name three).
Overall, Madrona Distillery Dry Gin
I love the way the gin’s flavor profile showcases several categories of botanical. Furthermore, it does so with clear and well-executed juniper throughout.
I narrowly will classify this as classic, but it may read to some as being slightly more on the spice-forward contemporary side.
Categorization aside, Madrona Distillery have made a nice dry gin worth checking out.