My beloved Gentleman Caller recently took a business trip to the States, and bless him, used up his entire duty-free allowance on gin for me. Didn’t bring home a single bottle of whisky for himself. Now that is true love. My first tasting is of a gin I hadn’t heard of before. Farmer’s Gin is a small batch organic gin made by the distillery behind Crop Harvest Vodka. I’ve been trying to work out where the distillery is, but their websites and Facebook pages give little away.
THE PROCESS
The base spirit is made with certified organic grains. Its small batch distilled, not sure if it is vapor infused or macerated, but it doesn’t have that distinct copper/metallic flavour that a lot of contemporary American gins have. It’s also a strong gin at 46.7% ABV, but not quite Navy Strength.
THE BOTANICALS
Again, a bit cagey about their botanicals, though they do give more away than [Stone Pine]. Juniper Elderflower Lemongrass Coriander Angelica & other select botanicals Regular readers will know I strongly dislike coriander, but in this instance the coriander seeds do not dominate, rather they, along with angelica root, create a lovely earthy base note.
TASTING NOTES
The bouquet is sweet and spicy with sharp ethanol and distinct juniper. On the palate the elderflower hit the middle of your mouth and blossoms. Along with the warmth from the ethanol you can feel the warmth and floral flavour explode and fill your mouth. The earthy notes come in underneath and linger with a slightly strange aftertaste.
IN DRINKS
Farmer’s really comes to life mixed with Fever Tree tonic. It’s warming and sharp without overwhelming. All of the notes balance out beautifully with the tonic, the base notes of coriander and angelica root ground the flavour with the juniper making of soft bed for slightly subdued elderflower top note.
WHAT OTHERS SAY
Gin is in Gin Reviews New York Times