Bluecoat American Dry Gin is 47%abv/94 proof and is distilled five times in a custom designed, hand hammered, copper pot still; and then softened to proof with triple filtered water. When creating this gin Philadelphia Distilling wanted to create a small batch, premium product that is American in nature, with a regional character and personality all its own. The botanicals used are all organic, and hand picked. Juniper berries that are softer, spicier, earthier and more complex than regular piney juniper berries; they are sourced from the Eastern Mediterranean instead of from the traditional Central Mediterranean region. Bluecoat also has a blend of premium American citrus peels, including a sweeter peel, as opposed to the traditional bitter orange peel, lemon peel, and a secret citrus peel that Bluecoat won't disclose. In addition they use angelica root, coriander; and possibly some other mystery ingredients.

The bottle is a gorgeous and intense blue color with gold writing and subdued engraving. It is packed in a wooden box branded on the outside with the name and logo. Inside the bottle is cushioned in straw with several small juniper branches with berries surrounding it. A great gift presentation with a holiday feel to it. Sadly, Bluecoat Gin is only available in Pennsylvania and New Jersey at this time, but expect that to change as they start distributing more widely in the near future.
The aroma is very smooth and earthy, with lots of the various citrus up front. You can clearly tell that there is sweet orange zest present, as well as other citrus backing it up. A most unusual and interesting aroma that is solid and deep. Then you get this tantalizing tease of spices that leads you down a path, you know not where. Somewhere along that Road Less Traveled that I seem to find myself following blindly, again and again. I keep thrusting my nose back into the snifter to inhale, letting my imagination go wild as I try to get a feeling for this gin. The earthy tone is almost musky, similar to the smell of fermenting orange rinds I would catch as I drove past orange juice processing plants when I lived in South Florida some time ago. It brings back thoughts of a long lost love, a time of sensual and intense romance, and the bittersweet taste of love lost but fondly remembered. I find that I have been spending many long minutes borne along an olfactory journey, before I have even taken my first sip. This is the most interestingly different and pleasurable gin I have yet come across, and I haven't even tasted it yet.

The taste is sharp and smooth at the same time. Sharp from the spices that hit the tip of your tongue, smooth from the earthy taste of the juniper and angelica root. Then the musky citrus rides in to carry away the day, ending with a long, slow, almost everlasting, melding of the flavors as they slowly, ever so slowly, slip away. Wow... I think this gin may be a love it or hate it gin for many people. It is extraordinarily complex, having deeper and different flavors than most gins. If you like oranges, musk, and the smell of exotic spices, then I think you will really enjoy this unique new presence in the world of gin. Now if I could just stop dreaming of that long lost love, but I think as long as I sip on my Bluecoat gin I will be stuck yearning for what I once had, and is now so long gone.