Empress 1908 Indigo Gin

Rating: 15/23 N: An initial gin sharpness with some tartness and definite juniper. Then some more mellow herbal scents come in, adding some richness and a bit of vegetal character. It's hard to describe at this point. It could even be faintly nutty - like stale hazelnut. P: Decently bright, but not aggressive, it goes right into the spices and herbs. There's some vegetal character adding richness, but it never leaps into the foreground. There are hints of fruit (orange, lemon) at points, but there really isn't much in that dimension, which surprises me since this gin is blue. This is very balanced, but also complex. I get the juniper, but there are lots of other flavors here. There's a bit of a floral character flitting throughout, but it's far from overwhelming (this is no Nolet's). This isn't that punchy gin that you'd drown in a fruity cocktail, but it might work nicely in a martini with its complexity. The spices give some heat at times, but this is never harsh. It took me a bit, but I think that stale nuttiness might be coming from a sort of stale coriander. I don't think that makes it better or worse, but maybe I understand it better now. F: Kind of rich with a little nuttiness and still some vague herbs and spices. A faint vegetal character is in the rich backing. - Conclusion - This is a good gin. It's a new take, but it nails this really balanced character with some nice swirling complexity. I can easily sip this. I don't know why they decided it should be blue, but it's really good. Mellower than even Plymouth, but really nicely executed. I'd take this over Plymouth, though they don't seem suited to the same context. Likewise, I'd take Leopold's Navy Strength over this, though, again, not really the same context. Honestly, this seems a bit more in the realm of Frangelico and Chartreuse Green, but with less sweetness. The gin it reminds me most of is Sipsmith, but without that atrocious fishiness. Side by side, the fishiness in Sipsmith is intense. I think I would be inclined to take Pacific Voyager over this if I were looking for a gin though. This looks like it's heading for a 15. I really enjoy this and I definitely can see myself buying a bottle in the future, but it hasn't quite clicked with me to the point of being something I would consider a go-to for any cocktail and there are other spirits in the price range that I'd rather have neat. Thanks @ctbeck11 for the sample!

Okay, so this is purple. I knew of this product for some time, but I had no interest in ever getting it. My wife, however, wanted to try it, and I bought it once I found it. The color and little changing gimmick is neat, but I can also see how it would be risky when it comes to marketing to "purists," since it's very vibrant and can easily be seen as off-putting. However, I'm going into this open-minded, as the color doesn't bother me, but London dry gin does, as it usually has no character or good botanical flavor. On the brighter side of gin, as far as the scent goes. Mild to medium juniper, some lemon/lime/orange oil, and surprisingly, a good amount of ethanol for such a low proof. Oddly enough, it doesn't have almost any floral notes or quality, where I was led to believe it should excel in it. It's definitely a London dry, no doubt about it. The dry spell hits the mouth and gums almost immediately, with the aforementioned juniper and citrus from the nose being very muted. It is here where the floral notes finally come in, but again, this type of gin simply does not allow for flavorful bodies to come through. The finish is quite bitter, and not much in a good way. This, to me, equates to a craft, American gin that was made with the lights off; all the ingredients are probably here, but the ratios may be off, or perhaps a worker missed pouring certain botanicals into the gin basket. To be honest, I'm not really sure what style this is supposed to be, mostly because I'm still learning with gin, but also since this is a Canadian product, and I don't remember seeing their name on very many recognizable gins. It's not impressive, looks quite scary in a Glencarin, and really banks on the color trick. Not worth it for the price, unless you're trying to impress in some other field besides taste.

4.13.22 Served: Neat, Flute. Bottle Open: >3 months Last intake: Lemon Water, shortbreads. Aroma: Really gotta get your nose in there to pick anything up. Of the listed botanicals, only coriander is discernable. There is a strange vanilla note that is rose adjacent. It might be the florals. Flavor: Full bodied. The flavor is uniquely more complex than the nose. Classic juniper and grapefruit, and has lingering florals and tea-like tannin. Strikes me as entirely too weak in character for mixing or sipping. I'll give it another go some other time, but for now, I'm writing it off as pleasant in character, but overly gentle. A colorful gimmick for vodka drinkers who want to feel fancy because they're drinking gin.

This is by far the craziest looking spirit I've drank so far. It looks like the Kool aid man's tears. Nose is juniper, lemon and pine. The palate is a bit oily, slightly sweet. The juniper and citrus are really balanced and everything is quite understated. Quite a long finish for gin, where I get a little bit of warm spices, orange and cranberry. This can easily stand on it's own, but I can imagine makes some pretty wacky looking cocktails. I'm looking forward to experimenting with it's colour changing ability. I don't blame the distillery for adding the ultraviolet gimmick, but it's nice that they backed up the flash with a really solid product.

Change up today, it's gotten warm here. A client gave a bottle of this to my daughter-in-law and she has made us a most refreshing gin and tonic using Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic. First one garnished with a lemon and the second with an orange. As she walks across the rooms with our drinks, I am stunned by the rich purple color of the elixir. It plays well off the garnish, most especially the orange. (I'm adding .25 point for eye appeal.) The citrus garnish works well with the underlying gin which is quite good. The elderflower of the tonic comes through as does the juniper and coriander. A most enjoyable nose and a light welcoming taste.

Won the blind tasting. Great. Floral, bizarre earthy tannins and bright botanicals. Rich and lovely. Plus the purple color makes it fun. And yeah I pretty much mailed this review in and Im embarrassed i dont have more to offer you. Um....how about the fun tidbit that in Hopi Indian lore, the Hopi people were brought underground by Ant People and saved as a firestorm and cataclysmic event destroyed the earths surface and then brought back up years later and re-settled in the area in which they still reside. Does that make up for it?