Old Young’s Six Seasons Gin

Flavor Profile

From Western Australia, made in Swan Valley the folks at Old Young’s Distillery seek to put a little bit a little bit of their local and cultural heritage in the work they do. My buddy David Smith again shared with me this sample of their Six Seasons Gin which is based on the Aboriginal people’s calendar. and it includes six native botanicals to embody that spirit.

The gist of these non-European based seasonal calendars is that each season carries with it a bit more knowledge about the land and the weather conditions. For example, the people of the Southwest Coast had a season known as Bunuru, which was characterized by hot, dry winds, and as a great time for catching fish and collecting wattle. So not just a time, but more of a state and condition.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Spicy at first, with coriander and hazelnut. Then eucalyptus, menthol-kissed juniper and kiwano melon.

Flavor: Spicy with juniper, cubeb and set amidst the cooling glow of fresh cracked peppercorns. Wattle seed, then a hint of camphor and eucalyptus.

Finish: Juniper, camphor— then anise and fennel— and cucumber and rangpur lime? Incredibly complex.

Cocktails and Suggested Serves

Six Seasons Gin is complex and challenging— I almost think it’s best to say “sip it neat” and leave it at that.

Try it in a Dry Martini, Gibson or Dirty Martini to play with some of those complex vegetal flavors. I thought it was a challenging gin and tonic, though a simpler gin and soda will serve to better highlight its complex flavor profile.

Behind the bar, it’s best to treat this as a specialty gin, rather than a simple “any gin cocktail” spirit. Though I did think it made for an unusual, but captivating Last Word.

Overall, Six Seaons Gin

Overall, I think Six Seasons Gin tastes like an Australian Gin, which honestly may be exactly what they’re going for. Could there be an Australian Gin accord [wattle + eucalyptus + juniper] that is set to rival the British one [coriander + angelica + cassia + orris + juniper]? I’m not sure yet, though I know many Australian Gin distillers and gin critics alike are trying to make Aussie Gin its own style.

But as it stands on its own, it’s a well made gin that ignites my appetite to hear more from Old Young’s Distillery. Can’t wait to see what they do next.

Awards