Malfy Gin con Limone

Re-tasted 16 December 2024 Similar notes to my original tasting, but I did notice more of a synthetic nature to this than previously. The nose seemed less light and spritzy than my earlier comments would indicate and there was a definite artificial lemon quality. The palate also had an artificial quality and seemed heavy-handed. Having now tasted the original unflavoured Malfy Gin this is definitely the inferior product. It lacks the subtle nuances and delicacy of the original. Score is unchanged. Tasted from a 50ml sample, part of a set of four Malfy gins. "Average" : 79/100 (2.75 stars) ----------------------------------------------- Nose: Sherbet lemon, old-fashioned lemonade, zesty tangello and mandarin notes - very citrus forward, but not overpowering. There is a light and sprightly touch to it all - it almost sparkles. Palate: A semi-sweet bright lemon entry. The delivery expands on the arrival adding depth, richness and a frisson like that of lemon gelato. The lemon notes are very well handled, with no sourness or bitterness at any point, and there are side notes of juniper, licorice and earthy spice. The texture is creamy and full. Finish: Medium. The palate gently subsides and there is a mild, spritzy, lingering aftertaste of lemon that is very agreeable. I usually take gin either neat over a cube of ice or in a gin & tonic with ice and a slice of lime or lemon, and I prefer a creamy and full texture, so this ticks all the right boxes for me. The lemon component is very well defined. I does seem just a little synthetic, but not enough to be objectionable. It's very good with Fever Tree Mediterranean tonic water, and also agreeable just with soda water, which gives it a sort of dilute, frizzante, limoncello quality. I can see how gin traditionalists might dislike this, as lemon is squarely in the spotlight and all the usual botanicals only play supporting roles, so it could be accused of being one-note lemon in profile. There are certainly better and more nuanced gins available. It's a fun gin for experimentation - adding lemon or lime to a G&T made with this is pointless, but instead try a sprig of rosemary, or a leaf of fresh sage or a sprig of mint. "Average" : 79/100 (2.75 stars)

Tasting from a 50ml sample. I was most curious of this flavor from this brand, since lemon is one of the best compliments of gin, but now I am more curious, because the unflavored original already has a pretty high lemon note to it. I believe it has been a few weeks since I had the original Malfy, but the scent here seems almost identical to that. There is slightly more lemon oil in the air, but this could likely be a placebo. Still little juniper, and even less spice, with floral notes being second to citrus. The initial flavor is quite bright, and tastes like chewing on a lemon rind (without the bitter pith flavor). Just like on the nose, floral notes follow this citrus bomb, and would almost trick you into thinking you're drinking a one-off liqueur, if not for the juniper finally coming in near the finish. The finish is hot, but only very slightly, and fades into semi-sweet lemon candy. You can tell that this distillery took their original gin and really only added real lemon (probably mostly rind) to it, given the oily flavor from the fruit. This almost feels like cheating, but this would make a great martini if you didn't feel like going through the work to infuse proper lemon oil into it. The only issue is, this isn't really a good gin base, and leaves a lot to be desired on that front. I'm sure the ingredients used are high quality (definitely the lemons are), but that doesn't amount to much if you missed the mark.

A free 50mL sample of this was included with Zaya rum. Why not? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The nose is delightful, full of those iced lemon cookies with a hole in the middle, the ones that come in a bag, and a little lemon-scented cleaner. When it opens up in the glass, it becomes hard lemon candy, then mellows out into watery lemon soda. All of this is just an illusion though, because there is the starkest contrast between the nose and palate that I have ever experienced. The taste is somehow bitter and full of sharp, rancid ethanol. It's truly bizarre to be smelling sweet lemon confections in the glass, right up to and including the moment it touches the tongue, and then ice cold water is thrown on that, jumpstarting you out of a pleasant dream. Bitter lemon oil is all that is left in the short finish. This is nothing that you should be drinking, only smelling. I suppose that is reasonable though, considering that a full 750mL bottle is only...$28.99?!? *monocle falls into snifter*

Strong notes of lemon oil and a light touch of juniper. Much too harsh in its balance of flavours which, unfortunately, brings the quality of the gin down. The bottle and brand has clever and aesthetically pleasing advertising, but overpriced for what they offer. The lack of access to the ingredients' list is annoying for those who struggle with intolerances to artificial flavourings as I found that it triggered an inflammatory reaction in brain and body. A shame, really, as it feels like an opportunity missed to use gorgeous Italian lemons.

86 N: citrusy, citron, citronová kůra, jalovec v pozadí 22 T: tekutý citrus v ginu, jemná kořenitost, pepř maličko, citrusová kůra, jemné a přitom výrazné, ze všech ochucených asi nejlépe schovaný alkohol, jemná nasládlost 22 F: střední, citrusová, trochu alkoholová s dozvukem jalovce 21 B: super citrusový gin, svěží, výrazný hlavně jedním směrem a kdo má rád citrusy, tak bude nadšen 21

From the nose, you would be forgiven if you thought it was limoncello instead of gin. The taste is almost all lemon peel with a supporting role of juniper and other botanicals coming in after the lemon bomb. I am usually a juniper-forward, London dry gin drinker. This isn’t bad, but more of a novelty for me and not something that I would keep stocked in my cabinet.