Scapegrace Gin
So what are the most classic gin botanicals you can think of except juniper? You are probably thinking on coriander, lemon and orange peel, cardamom pods, orris root, cassia bark and cinnamon – And those botanicals (and 5 other very classic botanicals) are exactly what this gin is all about.
So should you then garnish your Scapegrace G&T with a classic lemon wheel?
Not if you ask me and certainly not if you ask The Bird & The Churchkey, Papa Bird or The Bird Tivoli Food Hall because this March the G&T of the month is Scapegrace with Kiwi, Mint and 5 Cent Tonic.
Let’s break this G&T down and look into why this combo makes so much sense. Let’s start with the gin.
…and is diluted with 80 year old water – Yes water that hit the ground when you grandfather was born.
Scapegrace
The gin is made by Rogue Society Distilling Company located in New Zealand and the gin is also known as Rogue Society Gin but due to copyright they had to call the gin something else here ind Europe.
It’s made by two brothers-in-law and a part time musician who had a common interest in gin and wanted to make a really good craft gin. The gin is made with an old hand beaten, 19th century, John Dore copper pot still and is diluted with 80 year old water – Yes water that hit the ground when you grandfather was born. The water have been using the last 80 year to travel through layers of sediment until it’s finally released in to of one of the world’s last natural aquifers. This makes the gin crazy smooth!
So let’s talk about the classic botanicals.
The botanicals
Base: Neutral grain spirit
- Juniper, Italy
- Orange peel, from Spain
- Lemon peel, from Spain
- Coriander seeds, from England
- Cardamom pods, from Guatemala
- Nutmeg, from Grenada
- Cloves, from Comoros
- Angelica root, from Poland
- Liquorice root, from Italy
- Orris root, from Italy
- Cassia bark, from China
- Cinnamon Sticks, from Sri Lanka
- Dried Tangerine, from Morocco
The 13 botanicals is sourced from around the world and combined it’s a very classic combination. But where som fail to get the balance right with just the right amount of citrus, spice, sweetness and juniper Scapegrace nailed it – More about this in the end of the conclusion of the review 😉
Bottle and label design
How did the old genever (and gin) bottles look like for around 200 years ago? More a less like the Scapegrace bottle and just the other day a 135 year old gin bottle was found by a beachwalker in Australia, that kinda look like a Scapegrace bottle. Pretty awesome!
…this just looks like a more finished product and especially with the big round metal plate with the logo on in the front of the bottle.
Each side of the bottle has “Rogue Society” embossed in the blackened glass. It’s pretty easy to see that this is a custom made bottle and not just a bottle bought by a glassware company like many other brands do – Not that it’s a bad thing to do so but this just looks like a more finished product and especially with the big round metal plate with the logo on in the front of the bottle.
Let’s taste
Before we go further in to the beautiful G&T created by The Birds Cph let’s taste this gin neat.
Nose
A very classic juniper is the first to hit the nose and does not leave the nose. But it’s soon joined by subtle floral hints of orange and flowers that is soon followed by complex deeper earthy notes and citrus. It’s very pleasant smooth scent in the nose without any burn.
Mouth
Again – The juniper is there right away. The taste is very classic with earthy and citrus flavors being the dominated ones, but there are also subtle floral hints from the orange, dried tangerine and liquorice root. The finish is long and warm with a continued juniper dominance. Classic at its best.
Gin & Tonic
Finally – Let’s talk about the beautiful G&T. If you have followed me on Instagram you probably know that I like to use garnish that either enhance of existing botanicals or adds another dimension but without overdoing it. So why does kiwi fruit and mint work with this gin?
The kiwi fruit is native to East Asia and is also called Chinese Gooseberry and was first developed to a commercial crop in New Zealand (YES – where Scapegrace is from 😉 ) in the early 1920ths. When ripe the kiwi adds both acidity and sweetness in a G&T – Actually a little bit like a really ripe Italian lemon.
Mint is growing everywhere and you probably have several different kinds of mint in your garden. The “normal” mint you buy in the supermarket is likely to be spearmint which tends to be a little sweeter than other types. The mint adds a cool sweetness to the G&T.
So where the kiwi fruit actually adds some classic flavors the mint adds another dimension of flavor. This is highly recommendable to try to make yourself with Scapegrace (or another classic gin) or try it at The Bird & The Churchkey, Papa Bird or The Bird Tivoli Food Hall because this March.
Recipe:
- 50 ml Scapegrace gin
- 75 ml 5 Cent Indian Tonic Water
- A couple of slices of kiwifruit
- A sprig of mint
- Lots of ice
Conclusion and rating
I’m a big sucker for those classic earthy gins where you can really taste and see the craftsmanship. The bottle is really beautiful and I love how it has references to the 200 year old genever bottles and the gin is just super crisp, smooth and packed with juniper. This is a real beauty and the price is just right compared to other in its class.
Thanks to The Birds Cph for letting me taste and play around with the gin and the G&T of the month!
Rating
★★★★★☆
Price
$$$$$$
Comments or questions? Please comment on my IG post below:
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