Long Road Distillers hails from Michigan, and they want you to know it. Their wide assortment of spirits—which includes gins, vodkas, aquavits and more—is made using locally sourced ingredients from West Michigan.
West Michigan must be a great place to produce gin, as the brand currently offers three varieties: Dry Gin, Michigin, and their Bartender’s Blend. What all three share in common is a base of red winter wheat produced by Heffron Farms in Belding, Michigan.
Dry Gin
Long Road Distillers’ Dry Gin has a nose rife with oranges, wheat, and very intense juniper. The spirit is hot on the tongue, and contains a surgical strike-level of juniper notes, followed up by orange. The spirit has a dry, hot mouthfeel, and features a peppery, tongue-coating burst of spice at the center of the palate.
Its notes of juniper and pine tree are incredibly long-lasting, and the finish makes you feel like you’ve gotten lost in a Christmas tree farm. The Dry Gin is 90 proof, and certainly tastes like it. That juniper overdose will surely prove divisive, but it also makes it an excellent choice for a gin and tonic, where its full-throated notes are guaranteed to punch far above even the sweetest of tonics.
Stats:
— 45% ABV
— $34.99
CE Rating: ★★★
Michigin
The seasonal Michigin (get it?) has a soft, floral nose featuring wheat and juniper. It proves soft and sweet on the tongue, and opens with notes of juniper and cucumber, followed by wheat and grass. The sweet and creamy finish contains a bit of spice at the finale, far less than what you might expect from a 90 proof spirit.
The flavors of this mellow gin are surprisingly potent in a gin and tonic. It adds a thick undercurrent of wheaty flavor to the drink, tempering the sweetness of the tonic.
Stats:
— 45% ABV
— $36.99
CE Rating: ★★★
Bartender’s Blend
Bartender’s Blend, which was developed in tandem with Detroit area bartenders, has a muddy, earthy nose redolent of juniper and coriander. On the tongue, its texture comes across as soft, round, creamy, and viscous. It begins slightly sweet, with just a small note of juniper and a stronger flavor of lemon zest and ginger. A slight amount of peppery heat is activated at the center, and its long, zesty finish proves piercingly dry. Although 90 proof, it doesn’t feel a point above 80.
When mixed in a gin and tonic, the Bartender’s Blend still express its rich, creamy mouthfeel. However, its more subtle flavor fails to emerge from the tonic and gets lost in the mix.
Stats:
— 45% ABV
— $34.99
CE Rating: ★★★
