Gin Tasting 101 (part 1) at Tria Culinary

by hans peter meyer

I’d been tweeting back and forth with @triaculinary about gin etc a few weeks ago. We decided we needed to move from twitter-land to real-time/real-space with this convo and set “end of day,” August 26th as a reasonable time to unlax, try out some gins, and talk of many things.

Fortuitously, end-of-day August 26 was also the treffpunkt for @IslandFEAST, her crew, and the duo from @bluemoonwinery. For me it was also fortuitous that @triaculinary had just made some succotash and sablefish (recently adopted as my fave fish for sure).

We’d lined up 3 gins for this first foray into things juniper – Bombay Saphire (a better-than decent bar gin), Phrog from nearby Hornby Island, and the eponymous Victoria. I lined up the glasses. Then, in turn, I shook up a bit of each with ice and poured.

My first comment here is that, despite what I apparently learned at Bartending 101 (thanks to Suzanne at fineartbartending.ca – more on that adventure Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3, with Part 4 forthcoming…), I shook – and therefore risked “bruising” – this 100% booze. I used to think this talk of “bruising” was haute bar foolishness. However, as @bluemoonwinery pointed out (and innocent of any knowledge of booze and its delicate bruisability on her part), our little samples of gin were “cloudy.” Bruised, in fact. Suzanne would be shaking her pretty head at me, no doubt.

Notwithstanding the bruising, which all the gins were subject to, here are the comments on the 3 gins assembled.

Bombay Saphire: Pretty transparent blue bottle, with a decidedly citrus (“lemony”) perfume; juniper dominant, but other botanicals present. One taster determined it to be a “feminine” taste.

Phrog: Again, a lovely bottle momentarily distracted the tasters, after which they pronounced the following: complex aroma – licorice (“fennel?”), earthy, “rainforest” (indeed, I’ve had one friend dis Phrog in these terms: “do moss and murk count as botanicals? – no trace of juniper; I wouldn’t even call it a gin!”). One taster said it “grew” on her, somehow reminding her of the effect of a mild scotch. Her elaboration that it had a similar “rubbing alcohol effect” failed to clarify anything for me. Such is the case with taste: we live largely in a world of our own sensual experience, and struggle to find words for sensations that are outside of linguistic/logical understanding. Another taster said the flavours were too subtle and complex to be wasted in something like the ubiquitous daily bit o’ booze, what a friend once called the “restorative G&T.” The gender-oriented drinker named Phrog as a decidedly “masculine” gin. The fave of @islandFEAST’s pal.

Victoria: Back from the weedy Gulf Islands and into one of the last outposts of the Empire, this gin conforms to the traditional gin flavour profile. Tasters identified citrus amongst the juniper, along with other unnamed “floral” accents. Several of our company had spent time in Canada’s north, and nodded their heads as one taster said the Victoria raised memories of lying in the tundra, with “the scent of willow and juniper in your face.” The gender? Another girl. And, not a gin to be wasted in a G&T, no matter how “restorative.” My fave. (And, as per recent tweet, @islandFEAST’s fave too.)

Image by hanspetermeyer.ca via Flickr

To show off one of my current fave cocktails (and, perhaps, to redeem myself for the bruising of the booze), I put together a Gin Savoy (see comments on vodka below; using gin adds a bit of botanical complexity to the already interesting flavour profile of this libation – brought to my attention by bartender Torrie Howlett at @avenuebistro, and later modified with the assistance of bartender Freddy at that same fine dining & drinking venue in Comox).

This was our first kick at a gin-tasting. For Part 2 we’re going to drag in some others of our faves. I could (and will) go on & on about Hendricks. @triaculinary is particulary fond of Crown-something-or-other. I’ve had pleasant experiences with Plymouth. And, for comparison purposes, it’s good to have a big bottle of Gordon’s around (excellent choice for G&Ts, restorative and otherwise). Gordon’s is, in fact, an important element in one of my favourite variations on the classic martini, the Vesper.

In any case, gin is – unlike vodka, about which far too much is written (I love vodkas, but really, what’s the secret? The more it’s distilled, the smoother and easier to swallow this flavourless, colourless booze is. Why pay $$$ when you can find good triple-distilled for $?) – worthy of much consideration. We’ll be back at this in the not too distant future.

Thanks to @triaculinary for the impromptu dinner, to @bluemoonwinery for the post-gin wines, and to @islandFEAST and company for good company and the contribution of many useful comments.

Note:@triaculinary is the twitter handle for Kathy Jerritt at Tria Culinary in the Comox Valley. @bluemoonwinery is the twitter handle for George and Marla of Blue Moon Winery and Natures Way Farms (also in the Comox Valley). @islandFEAST is the twitter handle for Karma Brophy (she’s doing cool food stuff out of Nanaimo).

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