The newest gin to cross our desk is called Brockmans, and it’s billed as an “intensely smooth, premium gin” that’s made with a unique blend of botanicals. Now, if “intensely smooth” sounds confusing and somewhat contradictory, well, we agree. But it’s a claim that piqued our curiosity, and so here we are.
Though Brockmans Gin hails from London, it’s by no means a London Dry-style gin. It utilizes a few common botanicals like coriander, orange peels, cassia bark and angelica (and of course juniper), but it also employs blueberries and blackberries. The result is an overall softer and fruitier flavor — one that eschews the juniper kick present in most gins for a berry-forward profile.
On the nose, Brockmans Gin is full of berries. Rather than the chemical smell associated with blueberry vodka, for instance, the aroma here is actually quite pleasant. There’s a hint of juniper and very mild spice lingering in the background. The nose is a good indicator of what’s to come, which is a prominent taste of berries. But flavor wise, Brockmans has more going on, including notes of spicy ginger, bitter orange and fairly muted juniper. It’s light on the palate and incredibly easy to sip, and it finishes smooth and dry with berry notes lingering until the very end.
Brockmans is certainly interesting, and we’ve yet to try a gin like it. If traditional gins are your thing, this one might not be for you. But if you appreciate softer style gins and don’t particularly like being punched in the mouth with juniper, then you might find a lot to like here. It all comes down to your appreciation of berries. If you like them, great, this is full of berries. If you don’t, then you’re in trouble, because there’s no escaping them.
Point is, this is interesting, flavorful gin that can admirably spruce up a tom collins or a bramble, but we’d keep Brockmans away from our martinis.
Stats:
– 40% ABV
– $34.99
CE Rating: ★★★
