Desert Juniper Gin

Product of: United States

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First released in late 1998, Desert Juniper is made by Bendistillery in batches of around 500 gallons and filtered through crushed volcanic lava rock up to ten times before being bottled. The juniper berries used are harvested locally in Oregon from one of the world's largest juniper tree forests.

The back label claims "Desert Juniper Gin is micro-distilled from 100 per cent natural grains." It does not say that the botanicals are distilled and indeed this gin's colour suggests they are not, or if they are then a coloured distillate is usually a sign the still is being run too quickly. We suspect that the base spirit is distilled at Bendistillery and then the botanicals are macerated in the distillate to impart their flavour without re-distillation, so also giving some of their colour to the finished gin.

Would score a higher diffordsguide rating as a botanical spirit than a gin.

Review and Tasting

Sampled on 03/01/2012

Appearance:

(Batch 132) Clear with very faint lime green/straw yellow hue.

Aroma:

There's a whiff of sauna to the restrained fresh cedar wood, citrus and coriander nose.

Taste:

Slightly sweet, oily, woody, nutty palate with very faint pine resin influenced juniper. More a botanical spirit than a 'traditional' gin.

Aftertaste:

Lingering woody, nutty, sawdust flavours.