Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin

Rating: 13/23 I've heard good things about this one. With the tea presence, I expect it to be an alternative to Roku. I haven't been much of a fan of gunpowder tea in the past because of how funky it is, but I can imagine it working in a gin. N: Wow, this hits with a fine point. I smell the alcohol, but I also smell mustiness, some vegetal savoriness, a bit of black pepper, a fairly dry earthiness, and a faint meatiness that doesn't strike me too much of shoddy distillate. More baking spices gradually come out and P: Whoa, this is weird. There's a lot of vegetal funk that borders on rotting, but is saved by the tea herbaceousness. It's like somewhat rough vodka got mixed with gunpowder green tea. I definitely get the green tea character here with all of the vegetal flavors and dry herbaceousness mixed with tamed spiciness. Aside from that slightly rotting vegetal character, this has a clean, dry palate. It's a bit funky, but it largely holds together. F: The super distinct flavors meld together more here. It's vegetal and herbal and spicy with crispness. This is still a bit rotting unfortunately, but it's more coherent in a way that makes me think that this is the better gin profile. - Continued - No part of this on net made me dislike it, but this was a challenging one. I'd expected a slightly more subdued version of Roku (16/23), but boy was that not what I got. This has much more distinct flavors and more vegetal challenge. I'll need to see if I can find a good cocktail to make with this. Roku is more balanced while maintaining some very nice flavors and a more typical gin profile. As usual, Ireland can't compete well in the spirits arena. It's a shame, but I have to concede it. Fortunately, that rotting vegetal funkiness isn't as bad as that fish flavor in Sipsmith (8/23), so this is definitely the better gin. So this is in the 7 to 15 range. That's certainly wider than I'd like. I'm going to need to narrow this down. Uncle Val's Botanical (10/23) is funkier, but it has a nice, approachable sweetness to it with increased richness. Still, this has a much more natural character and it tastes much better as a result. I really thought that I'd be spending this tasting placing this side by side with Roku. It turns out though that I need to also spend a lot of time with Uncle Val's Botanical. What a disappointment. This is interesting, but it's too interesting. I expected a bit of novelty added to a fairly traditional gin profile - the type of thing that Roku does well. That's not what I get here. This is a challenging dram with some unpleasant flavors. There's some nice novelty, but it's a bit too challenging. This is very interesting, but that savory, rotting funkiness is too much for me and I also don't know what to do with it. Still, I do get that there's all this gunpowder tea flavor. That really does come through. Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of gunpowder tea. Still, this isn't bad. It strikes me as a little bit closer to the Roku than to the Uncle Val's, so it could be a 14, but I'm also very seriously considering a 13.

Nose: Very citrus-forward. Orange, lemon and lime with floral aromas in support. Spicy notes are low-key here, there is a trace of juniper, cardamom and anise but these are foundational and not the stand-out fragrances. Over time an almost minty aroma comes out. Palate: Balanced arrival with a notable chilli and white pepper kick that expands as it evolves. Bright citrus flavours, but they are crisp rather than sweet. Over time there is a tea-like note, but if I did not know from the start that this contained green tea I probably would not have picked it. Very well integrated and soft throughout, but with a prominent crisp, fresh juniper presence. Finish: Medium. The peppery juniper notes from the palate smoothly segue into a refreshing and lightly citrus aftertaste with delicate seed-spice notes. At no point is there any bitterness or harsh quality to this gin. So, it’s funny how things happen. I was discussing this gin here earlier and lamenting the fact that it is expensive in Australia. Later I went for a stroll down to one of the local liquor stores to buy some aperitivo and what should I find but Drumshanbo at $20 off normal price. I couldn’t walk past that (the quoted price below is the normal retail). I definitely get why this is an award-winning gin and why it is so popular on this site (with the community, anyway – the official rating is too stingy). The distillation is excellent with the macerated botanicals handled gently to provide a solid support for a big bouquet of lighter citrus elements and tea leaves that have been vapour infused. This preserves their delicacy and prevents bitter notes forming. It reminds me a little of Roku gin, but because of the citrus element and the fresh floral tones, not specifically because both contain tea. I’d definitely buy this again but whether I bought it in preference to Roku would depend entirely on the relative cost of the two products at the time, and Roku is usually 2/3 the price. There is also a crisp, bright juniper note that reminds me a little of Cotswolds, but this is not so juniper-heavy. I’d certainly recommend it. So what is it with Ireland, huh? Three of my top 10 gins now hail from the Emerald Isle – Dingle, Method & Madness and as of today, Drumshanbo. By the way - if you use this in a G&T (where it is delicious) don't add a slice of lime or lemon, if that is your usual habit. This has enough delicate citrus notes to be fine without help. “Very Good” : 87/100 (4.25)

Okay, I need to re-review this. Not because my opinion has changed, but because this was my gateway drug and I need to give a fuller review now that I've been exploring liquor for 3 years and have more practice making pretentious-sounding comments. I bought this pretty much randomly, choosing based on the fact that it was gin, had a cool bottle, was from Ireland, and who knows what else was in my head. I lucked out. I haven't tried a ton of other gins since then, mostly because it's hard to tear myself away from this one. But I've tried a few, and this is far and away the best, and indeed still among my favorite spirits of any type. You can smell it as soon as you open the bottle. The aroma is complex and fairly strong, but soft and not aggressive at all. There's a bit of piney juniper, but it's only one among many: wildflowers, citrus, a potpourri of spices, and yes, a little bit of that tea. Most intoxicating to me is the combination of citrus (especially lemon) and the floral aroma. It's deliciously sweet, like walking through a vibrant lemon orchard full of blossoms and fruit. The taste is as smooth and crisp as a tall glass of spring water on a hot day. Again that citrus hits, but it's not sour or even especially tangy; it's sweet, almost like lemonade, with lime and grapefruit also present. Then the spices come in, earthy and warm, but still floating in that gentle orange-blossom world. It's in the finish that I notice the tea most. It's the only bitterness here, but it's not out of place, just a comforting conclusion. I know that some highfalutin' liquor aficionados disdain the word "smooth", but this is dangerously smooth. There is nary a hint of alcohol burn. It's all smooth and creamy and pleasant and gentle all the way through, like a siren song luring you to have another glass. I've made some simple cocktails with this (like a gimlet), but really it's so delicious on its own that they're hard to justify. When I first got this at a local store, it was $40. Since then I have wised up to the benefits of online liquor shopping. It can be had for around $30-35. At that price I will be buying it again and again and again. Highly recommended.

Tasting from a 50ml sample. Alright, so they got me with the buzzword "gunpowder." Honestly, I'd do anything to smell gunpowder again anyway, so maybe that's why we're here. However, this has a good amount of botanicals, good quality citrus fruits, and the aforementioned special tea, which even if it's just buzz, tea is always a good botanical choice. Low juniper scent, and great citrus. It seems to be a blend between bitter oil and fresh juice of the citrus, which is great, so long as it's balanced. The proof is, at first, just a background thought, but after the citrus and additional floral notes fade, the proof becomes harsh and causes an almost instant recoil. The initial taste is slightly spicy, with a body that is both oily and still light. The first notes are floral, and the tea, but nothing special. The bitter citrus now comes through, and builds somewhat slowly to a spicy, peppery finish. This is the first time that the juniper actually makes itself obvious. Okay, so this is definitely doused in bait, with the "gunpowder," fancy bottle, and glass color. Having said that, this is still a moderately good gin, with more focus on the floral side without sacrificing the body, citrus, or juniper notes. This is also one of few gins with a good tea note, but since myself and likely very few others know what gunpowder tea is without the internet, it's more of a guessing game to seeing how true to form it is.

The reputation precedes this one. I'm a Martini guy. And Negronis. Not a G&T fellow. Rarely have gin neat. Sometimes in White Lady or similar gin-and-juice combination. At the end of the day its really about the right gin for the Martini every time for me. I'll make my preferred Martini gin work in one of those other applications. My reference is Bombay Sapphire. Tasted neat from a glencairn. The neat pour was given a good ten minutes rest before evaluation. Crystal clear to the eye, of course. The first impression from the aroma is stronger than expected anise, sweet citrus, cardamom and unripened fruit. This has a nice gravity to its nose. Very much alive and vivid. There is remarkably little ethanol. Very clean. On the palate the clarity continues with a bias towards sweet and fruit with a liquorice back note always present. It's complex and soft, velvety and very easy to enjoy. At the same time I keep getting interesting complexity on the rather long and fruity finish. I made a 3:1 Martini with Dolin dry vermouth and a dash of Angostura orange bitters. Very impressive! Fruity, sweet, easy to drink while remaining bracing. Brisk. Brittle even (I like them ice cold and up with a lemon twist). Yowza! Clearly above average, this gin deserves a regular place in my rotation. I really like this one. This is a solid 4 star achievement.

Bourbon Snob Tries Gin: Part 9 Part 8: Roku Gin Part 10, 1/10/25: Ransom Old Tom Gin >>>~~~~~~~~~~<<< I have not had too many gins. It’s been years since I’ve tried one. I don’t really know the language or the flavor profiles that make sense when describing gin. So tonight I’m going to go with “Portuguese” and “toothpaste options at the dentist.” This is a bourbon snob trying to understand gin. Much thanks to @ContemplativeFox for the pour! >>>~~~~~~~~~~<<< I’ll be honest. This gin sounds like a punishment gin at beerlympics, or something you’d get your drinking buddies as a gag gift. Nose is faint pine and lemon, with butter and corn in there. Body is pretty bland. I’d say butter and corn take stage, almost like white dog. I could see cream, vanilla. Finish is floral explosion. Wow that was intense. I had to get a dozen sips in to get anything past that. The orange peel is there, though faint. Vanilla comes back. Buzzing lips… this mouthfeel on the finish is spicy bruh. I did not like that first sip. That intense finish was just too much. The subsequent sips grew on me though. By the end, I thought this was an above average gin.