TASTING

FLAVOUR

TO THE MAX

IT WAS A TALE OF TWO TASTINGS: THE FIRST TO SET THE TONE FOR AN ECLECTIC MIX OF LOCALLY AVAILABLE SOUTH AFRICAN CRAFT GIN SAMPLED IN THE SECOND. THE RESULTS WERE – AS EXPECTED – INTERESTING... FIONA MCDONALD REPORTS.

TASTING PA NEL: HEC TOR MCBE TH, JEA N BUC KHAM, JUSTIN SHAW, S H AY N E D OW L I N G , D E E GR I F F I N , FIONA MCDONALD

This was the best thing you could have done,” said Jean Buckham of The Gin Box. “Have us start by tasting a range of well-known commercial gins – products that anyone can walk into their local TOPS at SPAR and buy – and then following it with the local craft gins.”

And what a fascinating exercise it proved to be! Gin is just exploding in popularity in South Africa – but the experts on the panel advocated a modicum of caution. Gin is a very easy product to make – so a lot of folks are jumping on the bandwagon of sourcing basic cane spirit and then infusing it with a plethora of botanicals. “But just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should...” said spirit aficionado and regular CHEERS panel taster Hector Mcbeth.

Echoing something which Stefan Coetzee of Bloedlemoen said in the article on gin on page 14/15, Cause + Effect barman Justin Shaw concurred. “My prediction for this category is that there is going to be attrition. Some of the chancers are going to fall by the wayside and what will remain are good gins, solid

gins, well made and crafted by people who love the spirit and really know what they are doing.”

Proprietor of The Gin Box Jean Buckham said one thing needed to be kept in mind: to be called a gin it must have notable juniper character. “And all of the examples in the fi rst fl ight had that – which you would expect because they are recognisable brands and consumers expect them to taste a certain way. Of the nine products tasted in the second fl ight, only two displayed juniper forward fl avour. As nice as they all were, they were very bold and brash, possibly too overwhelmingly powerful... but isn’t that a very South African characteristic?”

A very interesting point about patriotism in spirit form was made by Hector Mcbeth at the end of the tasting. He queried why gin was being used as the vehicle for a range of fl avours, from citrus to fynbos. “Why don’t we celebrate our heritage and the fact that we’ve been making Mampoer for centuries – and this is eff ectively what these craft examples are? Our grandfathers and greatgrandfathers were distilling spirit from citrus 100 and 150 years ago but we have to ride on the coattails of gin to celebrate local fl avours and ingredients...”

Since Cause + Eff ect has recently been awarded the title of Best Cocktail bar and Best bar team in South Africa in the BAR awards the fi nal word went to Shaw: “I’m excited by what is going to happen in the next few years with South African gin. We are in a special position of being able to make something utterly unique using local ingredients such as fynbos botanicals which no-one anywhere else in the world can emulate.”

PANEL’S CHOICE!

TANQUERAY 10 Grapefruit, juniper, fruity and expressively aromatic with balanced sweetness and lingering fl avour. Justin found tropical papaya and lychee notes. Shayne noted subtle blossoms and green tea.

ROKU This Japanese craft gin is winning fans all over the world. Resin and pine needles with wood, leather and even bamboo shoots. Juniper is there, as is citrus and fruit pastilles with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar. Oriental said Jean.

BEEFEATER 24 Quintessential juniper nose, some citrus and spice said Hector and Jean. Notably spicy with star anise, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg – but not dominant.

BULLDOG Lime cordial was Dee’s comment. Bright, bold citrus tang with some dusty green herbs. Flavour comes in waves Hector said, lush mouthfeel with quite perfumed juniper character. Jean suggested using a strong garnish when mixing a drink with this one.

STRETTON’S DOUBLE CUT Made for mixing cocktails said Justin. Clean and bright with faint Turkish Delight nose, peppery, long and dry with just a touch of sweetness. Solid and dependable.

SPECIAL MENTION!

THE BOTANIST Complex and packed with botanicals but the juniper is still loudest said Justin. Dry and spicy with some heathery – almost fynbos – notes said Hector. The dusty herb/heather and sage element means it would work well in cocktails. Subtle but earthy, indicative of the orris root and angelica used in the distillation.

HENDRICK’S Understated nose with gentle juniper, fl oral sweetness that hints at its complexity. Smooth and balanced with ginger spice and some green, vegetal elements, Fiona said.

PANEL CHOICE!

PIENAAR & SONS EMPIRE Aromatic juniper on nose and palate. Bright and peppery with nutmeg, cinnamon and Cape Malay spice, complex and silky mouthfeel. Understated and sophisticated. This is a seductive whisper rather than a loud shout!

WIXWORTH RENOSTERBOS Juniper is the boldest note in this one with a subtle fynbos, grassy nuance below. Light citrus but quintessentially a gin with juniper character speaking loudest. Well made, sophisticated, bright, clean and a delightfully understated African spin on a London Dry style.

BLOEDLEMOEN Another one which reminded Hector of mampoer or newmake spirit. Marmalade fruitiness, candied peel or cake fruit mix. Spicy and peppery with star anise, ruby grapefruit said Jean.

WOODSTOCK INCEPTION Grappa-like, said Hector. Dry with a grape undertone, vanilla and oak notes. Fiona found it green and leafy but smooth textured. Another one which would do well with punchy fl avour garnishes said Jean.

DISTILLERY 031 D’URBAN BARREL AGED Unlike anything that preceded it, Hector said this is stylistically reminiscent of a Dutch jenever. Shayne and Fiona got caramel, brulee, vanilla and spice which are oak-derived fl avours. Wood shavings and then spirit with a lovely balance of fruit and wood, Hector said. preceded it, Hector said this

GINOLOGIST CITRUS Naartjie peel, said Shayne. There is no mistaking the citrus in this! Bold thickskinned lemon peel, citrus leaf and oils. Dee found a herbal eucalyptus element along with cinnamon spice.

BOPLAAS 8 CITRUS Full on, both barrels, turbocharged citrus all the way! Orange, lemon, naartjie, kumquat and more... the panel felt they could almost enjoy this on its own, no mixer. Just to sit and sip it, possibly with a block of ice, Jean said.

AFRICAN CRAFT HONEYBUSH Honey and tea are what more than a few tasters noted. Jean appreciated the texture that the tannins and tea notes contributed. Fiona noted fynbos, cardamom and spice along with a thatch and autumn leaf fl avour.

Terms and conditions apply. Competition valid: 17 June – 31 July 2019. www.topsatspar.co.za/party-central/competitions

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