Flavor Profile
As That Boutique-y Gin Company releases some of their gins in multiple batches, we occasionally will review the same gin twice. Check out our review of Batch 1.
Spit-Roasted Pineapple Gin hails from That Boutique-y Gin Company’s line of one-off and limited-edition gins. David T. Smith (author and writer for Summer Fruit Cup) describes its origin: “During the second Golden Age of the cocktail ,liqueurs and cordials were all the rage, as were fruit gins […] That Boutique-y Gin Company have resurrected one of the fruit gins and given it a 21st century twist.” [source]
This gin is a standard distilled classic-style dry gin. Then pineapples, which have been peeled, covered in sugar, are then roasted over a flame until the sugar and natural pineapple sugars have caramelized. The two are combined. Spit-Roasted Pineapple Gin is sweetened and has an unusual deep golden hue to it.
At first look, That Boutique-y Gin Company Spit-Roasted Pineapple Gin reminds me of Seagram’s Pineapple Twisted Gin. Well at least in concept. The latter is flavored with artificial pineapple flavor. The former uses the real fruit. Both are sweetened. But you’ll notice a huge difference in ABV. Although is a sweetened, flavored gin it’s still over 40% ABV. Seagram’s Pineapple is only 35% and many other cordial and sloe gins are south of 30%.
Tasting Notes
Similar to batch 1, the nose of Spit-Roasted Pineapple Gin, Batch 2 has the aroma of a canned pineapple for example— lots of fresh pineapple, but also a bit of a slightly preserved note. I do get a bit of a slight, but general spice note in the background as well.
The spirit is thick and sweet, especially as it enters the mouth. But Spit-Roasted Pineapple Gin has notes of grilled peach and honeydew melon. A spice dominated gin flavor comes on mid-palate. The nutmeg and cinnamon with flamed orange rind mostly. Towards the finish, there’s hint of charred pineapple flesh (think grilled fruit, or shish-kebob)— it then dries out with a bit of a sloe gin character— fruit sweetness remains and dull throbs of baking spice in the wings.
The sweetness is perceptible and noticeable. People who find things like Sloe Gin cloying may find Spit-Roasted Pineapple Gin, Batch 2 to be the the same— even though it’s bottled at 40.1% ABV. The viscosity and sweetness remain.
Overall
Overall, if you like sweet, cordial gins you’ll probably like Spit-Roasted Pineapple Gin, Batch 2. If you shudder at the thought of drinking a liqueur neat, this is probably the wrong spirit for you.
That being said— and personal tastes aside —Spit-Roasted Pineapple Gin, Batch 2 is very well executed and is one of the more unique of That Boutique-y Gin Company’s current offerings.
Recommended to fans of cordial gins and gin liqueurs.
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