Picture the scene… You’re driving up the M5 from Bristol and on the horizon you see a sign…
“Gloucester Services – 1 Mile”
A run down welcome Break comes to mind but this services is a little different! Think fancy London deli mixed with a posh farm shop and you get the idea! Well, we had to stop and of
course check out their selection of gin… Something I never thought I would be saying to myself while on a long drive from Swansea to Birmingham!
Anyway, check it out we did and we were pleasantly surprised. There was a great selection of well known gins, William Chase being the most abundant, as well as some lesser known ones. After quite a lot of discussion (we almost came close to buying 3 bottles at one point!) we decided on a bottle of Bath Gin
This gin was born from the good people at the Canary Gin Bar in Bath. Spread over two floors, the Canary Gin Bar is go-to destination for Gin Lovers. Nestled under Victorian and Georgian arches, customers have to meander over some of Bath’s renowned cobble stones to reach the Canary Gin Bar – it all feels like something from a Dickens novel!
So, lets get down to business…
First off you notice that the shape of this bottle is not your usual gin bottle shape. Straight sided with a light bottom and slightly square in shape — quite a simple design but it does look elegant. The label is adorned with a picture of Jane Austen, who lived in Bath from 1800 to 1809, giving you a cheeky wink!
The Gin features a selection of 10 botanicals
- Juniper Berry
- Cassia Bark
- Lemon Peel
- Burnt Orange Peel
- Cubeb Berry
- Liquorice
- Caramom
- Angelica Root
- Wormwood
- Kaffir Lime Leaf
What excited us most was the wormwood…a botanical that we had not come across before.
So, on to the tasting! Well, on the nose you get lime, lime and…some more lime! Think the sweetness of key lime pie or Lemon curd and you get the idea. There is also a slight spiciness provided by the cubeb berry and the wormwood. We also picked up on a slightly earthy/musty scent provided by the Angelica root. All in all, we found it quite a clean, balanced nose.
When first tasting this gin, you are straight away hit with citrus but this dies away quickly to be replaced by a hint of spice. Quite delicate on the palate, light with a short finish. Mixed with a touch of water and smell changes – the citrus is replaced with a musty/earthy smell. To taste and you see get citrus, but the addition of the water brings out the juniper. Taken with tonic, our choice being the ever faithful franklin and sons, you get a beautifully light gin and tonic.
In conclusion this is nicely balanced gin, with lovely hits of citrus. We think it would be perfect for someone who is new to gin who might have been put of before by the juniper flavours that a prevalent in other gins. The juniper is there.,.but very much a supporting actor in this gin. It would also be great base for fruity cocktails and also we can see this going quite well with elderflower cordial.
You can find out more about The Bath Gin Company here and if you want to check out the Gloucester Services then click here
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