Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1036886
october 2018 / the tasting panel / 79 The workshop, led by perfumers Rachel Latimer and Travis McIntosh of the Scotts Valley–based Perfumer's Apprentice, challenged bartenders to craft their own gin-inspired fragrances while learn- ing about aroma layering and the proper balancing of top, middle, and base notes in a respective scent. After a quick discussion, the bartenders selected their aromatic ingredients from a wide assortment of Sipsmith-inspired essences, ranging from fresh and floral notes like lemon and dewfruit to woodier additions like coriander and licorice. Not unlike crafting a cocktail, the process involved concep- tualizing a fragrance, testing the aromas of each ingredient on scent strips, and eventually balancing the layered components. After fine-tuning their blend, the bartenders combined their ingredients with a neutral alcohol, skin-testing as they went to track their progress and adjust the final aroma. When the final bottles had been capped and sealed, Ellis led the group through a tasting, during which the bartenders' heightened aromatic perceptions lent a keenness to their palates and helped spotlight hidden nuances in the Sipsmith expressions. While showcasing the London Dry expression, Ellis first noted the heavy citrus on the nose: Seville orange peel and sweet lemon with just a slight tinge of juniper berry. Coriander then emerged on the palate, imparting a gentle spice while echoing the citrus. "When Jared Brown agreed to come onboard as Sipsmith's Master Distiller, he had one condition: The founders had to promise to make gin the way it should be made," Ellis said, adding that Sipsmith owes its character to an 18th-century recipe from The Art of Distilling. Ellis also highlighted two additional ingredients found among in the perfumers' collection: licorice and angelica root. "We use licorice-root powder in Sipsmith. It isn't nearly as potent a flavor as the essence you were working with today, but it's responsible for the lingering sweetness of the gin," Ellis said. She then explained that a small amount of the powdered root performs the molecular legwork of sugar, which would caramelize in Sipsmith's copper stills. The powdered angelica root, meanwhile, is fairly odorless, yet it acts as an important binding agent. "Several people mentioned that certain ingredients in their perfume acted to pull the top, middle, and base notes together, and that's exactly what the angelica root does for the London Dry," Ellis said. The bartenders also tasted Sipsmith's VJOP (Very Junipery Over Proof) expression, which is macerated with three times the amount of juniper used for the London Dry (a fresh lot of dried berries is also added to the still after the lengthier 72-hour maceration). "For some juniper lovers, the London Dry is too smooth," Ellis explained. "In the VJOP, it yields a great, thick oiliness and punch at 57.7% ABV from the second you smell it." One attendee also noted a predominance of spice on the finish, which Ellis credits to the prominent juniper and cori- ander as well as cassia and cinnamon. "The fresh juniper in the still amplifies the other root-spice notes that are present," she replied. "Just like how we crafted our perfume today, we build things very deliberately, because as flavors layer they play off of each other and grow in complexity." Perfumers Rachel Latimer and Travis McIntosh join West Coast Sipsmith Brand Ambassador Lucy Ellis in helping Bay Area bartenders better understand the delicate interplay of botanicals in Sipsmith Gin. Travis McIntosh assists Bay Area bartenders Kristina Howald Cox, Cassie Davis, Emily Elda, and Jillian Newman as they layer and balance their fragrances. Lucas Janowski and Nia Person test possible combinations for their fragrances on scent strips.