Gin Notes: Van Gogh Gin

by Jonathan M. Forester, Posted Nov 21st 2006 @ 5:06PM

Van Gogh Gin is a premium gin in a beautiful bottle showing the canals of Amsterdam. Just the bottle alone takes four countries to produce. First the bottle is made in Germany, then it is etched in France, silk screened in Belgium, and the corks are Portuguese. Then the gin is made and bottled in Holland. It is distilled twice in a column still to remove any bad congeners (bad by products if distillation) and then a third time in a pot still to 47%abv / 94 proof. Made in small batches the botanicals are distilled separately, mixed carefully, and then aged to bring all the flavors together. The ten botanicals used are angelica, coriander, grains of paradise, almonds, lemon, liquorice, juniper, cassia, orris, and cubeb berries.

The aroma is deep and complex, with a quick dark and spicy hit buoyed up by fruit and citrus, with a juniper finish. Very pleasing with unusual notes that keep me going back to sniff repeatedly. The taste starts off with a sudden, strong, tangy and spicy note, sort of like a spiced fruit that then turns citrusy. Then there is the long finish with a whole mélange of spices coming along one after another, so fast it's hard to name them. Finally it settles down to juniper, lemon zest, and faint hints of cassia and liquorice. The finish was very long and minutes later I can still taste the lingering botanicals on my tongue. Straight up in a snifter or on the rocks are my thoughts for enjoying Van Gogh. I am not so sure about in a Martini or GnT, since I never got that far, but it has the potential to mix very well if it doesn't get overpowered. This is an elegant and refreshing gin that keeps me pouring excitedly.