Blackwater

£24.89 Quantity:

Established in early 2015 by Peter Mulryan, Blackwater Distillery is one of the first in a new wave of craft distilleries opening in Ireland. He set the bar high too, as the gins are mightily impressive. Blackwater Gin is made in West Waterford, where the landscape is scenic - no dramatic cliffs, valleys or bustling city centers. The expanse of rolling farmland, mild climate and rich soil is known as the Blackwater Valley. It also rains. Often. You’ve been warned if you visit the distillery...! Almost everything eventually flows into “An Abhainn Mhór” (The Big River), nowadays known as The Blackwater.

Blackwater No.5 Gin -

Blackwater Gin is bottled at 41.5% ABV, the botanical mix includes (amongst others – there are 12 in total) juniper, coriander, cinnamon, liquorice and nutmeg. On the nose, cardamom mixes with juniper and a faint lemon rind, leaving cracked pepper like tones to emerge in an otherwise dusty mix. To taste, Blackwater No.5 Gin is classically styled, with juniper upfront and coriander seed pushing in abruptly when tasted neat. Warming spice from the cinnamon nips towards the end along with a little bit of something else (cubeb to hazard an educated guess). The long finish makes for a full flavour journey that has you wanting more sip after sip.

Read Gin Foundry's full review here: Blackwater Distillery

Blackwater Juniper Cask Gin -

There's a lot of piney oak on the nose of Blackwater's Juniper Cask. It also has a sappy, citrus-leaning juniper to taste with a strong spiced note to boot. The resinous cask is once again pronounced on the finish. Blackwater Juniper Cask is an ideal gin for those who like a Gin Buck (Gin and Ginger Ale), where both accentuate each other - or who are looking to take their Negroni game to the next level.

Blackwater Wexford Strawberry Gin -

The big thing about Wexford Strawberry Gin both on the nose and to taste is that it is GIN. Not a fruit gin. Not a sugary mess. Tasty gin. Strawberries are used as a botanical here and are interlaced, delicately appearing and disappearing in a mist of spice and citrus in a perfectly balanced ensemble. The strawberries are prominent on the nose, giving the gin a sweet aroma, but juniper is softly present in the background. To taste, citrus, then strawberries then juniper and other spice emerge. Fantastic journey, fantastic gin.