Flavor Profile
We’ll G’vine, we meet again. again.
Long time readers of the Gin is In will know that this was the first gin I officially awarded five stars too.
A lot of what I wrote about Floraison is equally true about Nouaison, so let’s get on to the actual tasting notes, shall we?
The Scent
The smell is a more muted variation on Floraison. A subtle floral bouquet, but no intimations of its strength (44% vs Floraison’s 40%) nor of its more juniper-like stature.
On the Tongue
There’s some warm citrus notes a powerful note of cassia. The floral notes are there but very quickly give way to juniper and a burst of London Dry style heat. But don’t be fooled. it’s not as intense as other classic gins. Its a muted, slightly floral take on it. In other words, I think its the ideal balance between the strong floral notes of Floraison and the juniper notes of a classic gin. If you’re a gin buff who didn’t really dig Floraison, Nouaison meets you half way.
The finish is a little bit of ginger, a little bit of cinnamon and a little bit citrus. The biggest flavor component of Floraison that I see absent in Nouaison is the powerful licorice notes of the former. Its not missed, as that herbal void is filled with juniper instead.
One Good Cocktail
Sometimes I wish I had more of a bartender’s mind, or at the very least a bartender’s bar. I’d love to turn the cocktail portion of these posts into a “the best cocktail” or at least a “custom cocktail” for each gin. Sadly, my home bar lacks the proper accouterments (e.g. unlimited budget) to experiment relentlessly. Perhaps one day.
So in the absence of the ability to create my own bar, let me just say what my favorites are:
1) Gin and Tonic. This gin was made for mixing with tonic in my opinion. Great with Fever Tree I think.
2) Astoria Cocktail (a.k.a a wet martini w/ bitters). The little bit of orange bitters in this cocktail is a really nice way of accentuating the citrus notes. Also, the vermouth and the grape base go together wonderfully. [Also very similar to the Ballantine cocktail, which also works well] I guess this is fancy way of saying, “works great in a martini, but the wetter the better.”
Best consumed: In any gin cocktail that could use a little bit of contemporary kick, but without losing track of the juniper.
Availability: Definitely becoming much more common.
Rating: Situated in a nice place between adventurous contemporary gin and classic gin. Yes, it is possible to have the best of both worlds.
Surprisingly found a bottle at my local Bottle King (Mid-Atlantic-US) and boy was it good in my G & T’s. Starts out with a citrus burst, then goes ginger/nutmeg/liquorice and finishes with a juniper flourish. I tend to like my gin on the London Dry side and there is enough juniper here not to disappoint. Yes, it really doesn’t need a lime. The spiciness/herbiness of it reminds me of the holiday winteriness of #3 Gin and much like #3, you know you are drinking a well made and complex gin. Yum.
This is by far one of my favorite Gins! When it’s mixed with gingerale & fresh ginger, it is absolutely delightful and refreshing!
This gin, just add ice and your done. Like a perfect martini that I would otherwise mix with Nouilly Prat, but without the need to add the vermouth. I can imagine adding a little lime would just finish it. As a matter of fact, that’s what I’m going to do right now!
Well available a selected (web)stores and bars in Netherlands.