New Riff Kentucky Wild Gin

Rating: 17/23 This gin is really vague about what it tastes like, but I figured the price was low enough and I needed a new gin. N: Nice juniper with a bit of a more vegetal, slightly savory root scent, as well as hints of lemon, chamomile, and licorice. Overall, it's a nice, standard dry gin profile. P: Ooh, this is pretty nice. There's a clean juniper layer that makes itself known, but isn't overwhelming. There's also some restrained prickly spiciness like a mix of white and black pepper, along with some light oiliness that brings in various herbal and vegetal complexities (much more herbal than vegetal though). It's sweet, but not overly so. Hints of lemon rind here and there. It's very nicely balanced, with good flavors and really solid complexity, all while maintaining a clean, slightly crisp profile. There's a light mustiness here as well that reminds me of Sipsmith, but in a good way (none of the fishiness). F: Clean and smooth with lingering oiliness, herbs, lemon, and mild spices. - Conclusion - This is very elegantly crafted. It's good competition for The Botanist (16/23), but I think that this is actually the better of the two. The Botanist just lacks the nuance that this has. I'm convinced that this is at least a 16, but more likely a 17 or perhaps 18. The gap isn't enormous, but it certainly is there. Monkey 47 (18/23) definitely beats this. The gap between this and the Monkey is about the same as the gap between this and the Botanist, actually. I thought that I had the Monkey up at a 19, but apparently I didn't. I think it might deserve that though. I'm down to a 17 or 18 for this. I'm going with a 17, which is frankly a great score. I'm so glad that I picked this up on a whim. I'd expected some slightly underwhelming gin that was skating by by being a bit unique and calling itself "craft", but that is absolutely not what I got here. This is a great find and I will probably be my staple if I can find more for around $25.

Absolutely delicious gin. Nose is classic citrus and juniper with an addition of spice. Taste is spicey, juniper, light citrus, and bitterness. Finish is butter juniper. I imagine this is even better in a gin and tonic.