Grand Traverse Peninsula Gin

I reviewed this gin that was made in my home state of Michigan back in September of 2017, but am just now able to post it thanks to my very fortunate selection to be one of 10 beta testers for the ability to add bottle entries. This particular gin is only available at the distillery or in one of their tasting rooms around Michigan. I bought it after touring the distillery in June of 2016 for $35. Like all gins that I’ve had (only a handful), the nose begins with pine. Pine needles in this case. It’s also very herbal. This is a wheat based spirit and it shows in the profile with a strong, but refined grain note. I asked the distillery what they were using as far as botanicals go, because I thought I was getting a rye note and they are known for making a lot of rye whiskies and rye vodkas. I was informed that they use grains of paradise along with several other botanicals for this expression and that’s probably what I was getting. From what I recall there was a whole lot going on, but I just don’t have the experience with gin to decipher them. The palate is pine forward. Fairly sweet and perfumed. Fresh baked bread, butterscotch and herbal. Reminded me of chamomile tea. Minty/menthol. Light bodied mouthfeel, thin but creamy. The finish is medium short, chamomile and rye bread. I can’t stress enough that my gin vocabulary is very lacking, but I can say with confidence that this was very enjoyable. The grain notes were quite nice and once I found my way out of the pine forest I was able to really appreciate it. A solid 4 Cheers