Spiced Negroni Gin Review
Travel Distilled reviews Spiced Negroni Gin from the award-winning Australian distillery Four Pillars, aimed at making the best Negroni ever.
This Spiced Negroni Gin is yet another remarkable gin from Australia’s Four Pillars distillery, and is definitely up to their usual high standards.
The Spiced Negroni Gin was the first gin they put out in their Bartender series. It came about when distiller Cameron MacKenzie was talking to the Australian bartender Jason Williams, one of the World’s Top Ten Bartenders. They decided that a perfect Negroni needed a particular kind of gin that didn’t exist. Jason suggested Cameron should produce one and Cameron, a Negroni fan, took up the challenge.
The distiller started with Four Pillars’ regular gin, and increased the quantities of two of its botanicals: Tasmanian pepperberry leaf and cinnamon. He then added a West African spice called grains of paradise, which has clove and pepper characteristics. The spice level was upped again with some ginger, and finally organic blood oranges were added. The result is an unusual gin that comes out at 43.8% ABV.
Despite the exotic additions, the gin is still very juniper-forward on the nose. It is reassuringly still gin. The blood orange is definitely present too, along with a touch of lemon for lighter citrus notes. It’s a potent aroma, with peppery spiciness also coming strongly through, and perhaps a hint of cardamom. Like some of their other spirits it smells powerful, but not overpowered by the extra botanicals. Juniper is still king.
It’s on the palate that the punch comes through. Swirl it around your mouth and the peppery spice is right at the forefront, with your mouth instantly warmed. The kick continues on the finish, and all the way down your throat.
The Best Negroni Ever?
This, of course, is not a gin that was created to be sipped (although it’s a great experience if you like bold flavours) but one produced for a specific purpose – making the best Negroni ever. It’s certainly up there with the best I’ve had, using Four Pillars’ suggested serve of equal amounts of the gin with Campari and sweet red vermouth, and a dash of orange.
Spiced Negroni Gin Review
I only had a small tasting sample of the gin so it was a cocktail in miniature, with just enough left over to make a tiny G&T! The tonic brought out floral notes in the aroma, which was surprising, and mellowed the taste a little so that it wasn’t quite as ferocious. The simple G&T became an intriguing blend of the pepper, the orange-lemon citrus, and the floral (in the way that a brandy or cognac is floral), and the juniper seemed to have all but disappeared.
Once again I was totally impressed by this Four Pillars Spiced Negroni Gin, and am now dying to try more in their Bartender series. Well, anything that Four Pillars produces is fine by me.
Other Four Pillars Gin Reviews
Four Pillars Navy Strength Gin
Four Pillars Australian Christmas Gin
More Information
See their website.
Buying
Four Pillars Gin is available from Master of Malt and, if you live in the UK, from Amazon. In the USA, Drizly stocks several of the Four Pillars gin range.
Buying
Four Pillars Gin is available from Master of Malt and, if you live in the UK, from Amazon. In the USA, Drizly stocks several of the Four Pillars gin range.
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