Waaay back in 2014, almost to the day, I was invited to a gin launch. On a yacht, on the Thames.
I obviously said yes. It was an adventure featuring hurricane winds, cocktails and of course, gin.
Fast forward to today, and The Lakes Distillery have matured somewhat, and well, so have I. Though if I got an invite like that again, I’d probably say yes. You know, just saying.
And along with their maturity, they’ve decided to revisit their signature gin. It’s not only got a new look, but a new flavour profile too. Their aim is to refine the gin, use as few botanicals as possible, and create something much more classical in style.
And they kindly sent me a sample to try.
So what’s different? Gone are the bilberry, heather, hawthorn and meadowsweet. Now the botanicals are juniper, coriander, angelica, orris root, cassia bark, liquorice, orange and lemon peel. Classic botanicals, classical style London Dry gin.
And to drink?
Neat, the nose offers something almost perfumed about it. Florals – Earl Grey tea, a little citrus. Soft. The palate has a rounded mouthfeel, the perfumed notes come through on the palate too, along with juniper, citrus and a little pepper on the finish. Smooth and very drinkable for 46% abv. It would be delightful in a Martini.
In a G&T, it’s a rather different drink than the original gin. The nose doesn’t give much away. A little juniper, a little citrus. The palate is soft, clean, balanced. Maybe a little dangerous as it’s incredibly easy to drink. Blink and it’s gone.
The result is for me, a gin better enjoyed neat, or in a Martini. It’s very well balanced, but it’s lightness in a G&T means it’s perhaps easily dismissed. We’ve got a lot of gins out there, and a lot of variation in flavour profile. Is this one going to be a little lost?
