Tru2 Organic Gin is Loftily billed as the first “100 % Organic Gin.” Tru2 Organic Gin also  doesn’t look like your average gin. It has a brownish color because the botanicals are macerated in grain spirit, rather than distilled. Tru2 Organic Gin is a “bathtub” style gin.

Tasting Notes

The scent is only vaguely gin like. Drinking it straight it reminds me of Chartreuse: Overwhelmed by a blend of herbs, some of them very pungent. As I poured myself a drink I wondered “is there any juniper in here?”

Cocktails

In Gin and Tonic, the herbal combination overwhelms the tonic water. The Quinine doesn’t quite compliment Tru2 Organic Gin properly, though it is somewhat more palatable when mixed with ample fresh lime. But, because the herbs are center stage in Tru2 Organic Gin, this gin does not lend itself well to mixed drinks. Unless you’ve felt your Tom Collins or Gin Fizz was missing the strong aroma of constituent spices, I’d recommend drinking it straight as a Martini.

Overall

Bathtub Gins can be difficult to mix with. Anyone who has bought a DIY, or make your own gin at home kit probably has experienced this.

But Tru2 Organic Gin was a product of its time, and although I don’t think its flavor stands up in the modern world of gin, they did push the envelope. Intense spice flavor with a highly aromatic profile, Tru2 Organic Gin ultimately lacks balance— but deserves note for pushing the envelope in the Gin Renaissance’s early years.