Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1399
TRU2 Organic Gin Made with 14 whole botanicals, including fresh lavender, fresh lemon zest and chamomile, this small batch, 84-proof gin also possesses a unique amber color. The label is printed on corn-fi ber rather than paper from trees, and the cork is recyclable. The bo- tanicals are macerated in layers, forming an organic wheat-based spirit. The gin is not re-distilled after the maceration process in order to preserve its rich, balanced fl avor profi le. MODERN SPIRIT The Lavender Gimlet TRU2 organic gin Lavender sprigs Citrus (orange) organic liqueur The verdict: We get more lavender than gin (and this is a big, bold fl avored spirit) and a tad too sweet. How- ever, we did feel carbon-negative after our fi rst sip! Blue Angel Vodka A uniquely textured vodka made by Maurice Kan- bar, the chemist-inven- tor-entrepreneur behind the original recipe for Skyy vodka. Weighty and opulent, Blue Angel is as intriguing chilled as it is at room temperature, which says a lot about a spirit. It's made from select Ameri- can grain in a proprietary quadruple-distillation pro- cess that removes impuri- ties, resulting in a vodka with clarity and pure character. BLUE ANGEL SPIRITS BAM! (The Blue Angel Martini) Blue Angel vodka Dash of vermouth Garnish with olives or a lemon twist The verdict: One of the simplest recipes in the show- down, the BAM! was called for long after the event ended. Cadenhead's Old Raj Gin This is a Mar- tini-lover's gin. Cadenhead, the producer of some of Scotland's fi nest single malts, offers Old Raj gin, its distinction being that it contains a measure of one of the world's most expensive spices: saffron. In addition to its slightly spicy notes, this 92-proof spirit also imparts a pale yellow color and is surprisingly elegant, fl oral and light-bodied, despite its alcohol level. PREISS IMPORTS The Bramble Old Raj gin Fresh lemon juice Simple syrup Crème de mûre (blackberry liqueur) The verdict: A Scottish Cosmo! It's both tangy and sweet; the blackberry liqueur is an elegant touch to a mouth-watering tipple. Bluecoat Gin American through and through, Bluecoat is a dry gin that is distilled in the nation's onetime capital, Philadelphia, and created using all-natural and organic juniper berries and botanicals. The custom- made, hand-hammered cop- per pot still used in the distil- lation process is the only one of its kind in the world, and marries traditional distillation techniques with the latest technological advances to give Bluecoat its distinctively smooth, complex fl avor and fi nish. PHILADELPHIA DISTILLING The Derby Mojito Bluecoat gin Fresh lime juice Rose's Lime Juice Mojito mix The verdict: On its own, Bluecoat has some darn good aromatics right off: lemongrass, mint and juniper amidst a fl oral backdrop. Unfortunately, the drink and mixes buried its natural loveliness. Leo Ossovski of Preiss Imports. july 2009 / the tasting panel / 69