My most recent discovery on the spirits side was Azzurre Gin. I’d tried their vodka and was very impressed.
The gin has a similarly attractive bottle, with a long, elegant neck and a minimalist approach. Like the vodka, the gin is distilled from equal parts of apples, grapes and sugar cane. There’s no note of what botanicals are then used to infuse the gin with its unique flavor of this American dry gin.
Apart from the juniper and some citrus, the tasting notes talk of violet, sweet basil and lavender, and a secret blend including Mediterranean herbs and spices.
On the nose the Azzurre Gin has a beautifully clean smell, with juniper and citrus notes, more lime than lemon. Sipping it, the sweetness is still there, though not in an overpowering way. My wife said it had a subtle candylike flavor, which reminded her of lime-flavored Lifesavers, but balanced by the tang of citrus. In addition, I thought I detected a smokiness to the taste, but equally subtle.
Trying it later with some Fever Tree, it created a classic gin and tonic, with the clean tonic allowing those gently flavors of citrus and sweetness to come through. All in all, a gin to match Azzurre’s excellent vodka.