Fans of citrus-forward gins like New Amsterdam are apt to find Gunpowder Gin a pleasant, if not one-note alternative. It has the herbal complexity of bathtub style gins like New Deal Gin No. 1, but also the balance of old school favorites like Gordon’s and Plymouth. The Gunpowder Tea notes lend itself really nicely to mixing in citrus-forward drinks. Try Gunpowder Gin in a Tom Collins or Gimlet. If you’re literal, Gunpowder Gin is delightful in a hot toddy. Add some honey and lemon and it almost tastes as if you’re having a hot tea to sooth your throat. The ABV of Drumshanbo Gin is 43%. You can see how it compares to 10 other gins in our ABV table. Price: How Much is a Bottle of Gunpowder Gin?

Gunpowder is bolder and more citrus forward. The tea element is very pleasant and not abrasive. It has complexity, allowing herbs and sweet spices to have their say.

Overall, Drumshanbo Gunpowder Gin

Now let’s get into my full review, and as always, we’ll begin with how it tastes neat. What does Gunpowder Gin Taste Like, Neat? Taste Gunpowder Gin Side by side with the Botanist, Gunpowder Gin has a bolder bouquet with a greater emphasis on citrus and spice. Gunpowder vs. Botanist Gin Read our Drumshanbo Gin review and want a bottle? In the US/Canada, you can buy Drumshanbo from Drizly. Kaffir lime, oriental grapefruit, Chinese Lemon and Gunpowder tea are added to the vapor basket for a more delicate release of flavors. Alcohol Percentage of Gunpowder Irish Gin A seasoned world traveler, Rigney might have settled his spirits venture anywhere on the map, but he chose Drumshanbo because the cozy Irish hamlet was the same town where his mom and dad first met — his dad, Seamus, was the auditor who took the train down from Dublin, and his mum Mary worked in the accounts department in the Arigna Mines in the 1950s. (Yes, if you fall in love in the less-than-Disney-perfect setting of a working coal mine, chances are it’s the real thing.) 8. You’re Also Supporting Small-Town Economic Recovery

Gunpowder Gin is a modern or contemporary gin. It is not heavily juniper centered and it features the botanical meadowsweet, local to Drumshanbo, Ireland. Distilling Method The Drumshanbo distillery highlights 3 smart variations on the Gin and Tonic, a gimlet variation and a martini. These are spot on and I will make the following additions: Gunpowder Gin and TonicThe “gunpowder” in the Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin name refers to Chinese gunpowder green tea, one of the four botanicals that are vapor-distilled into the gin (after it’s been pot-distilled with eight others). It might sound easy to get lost in a dozen botanicals, but the specific green tea Rigney chose for the gin lends a distinctive note to the final flavor, unique in the gin world, where juniper is more often primarily complemented by things like citrus, cucumber, and spice. And no, the tea has no ballistic uses; it’s called “gunpowder” because of the shape of the tea leaves, which are rolled into individual pellets for better preservation. 3. It’s Wildly Global and Extremely Local. Gunpowder Tea is so called because each tea leaf has been rolled into a small ball, reminiscent of gunpowder. It’s usually made with green tea leaves and it’s that special ingredient that gives Drumshanbo Gunpowder Gin its name. Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin is quite literally a “slow gin.” Despite how efficiently gin can be produced, Rigney intentionally slows the process, combining the two major gin distilling methods. Rigney combines vapor distillation of fresh Chinese lemons, kaffir limes, and Oriental grapefruits, along with the intriguing gunpowder tea, with the pot-still distillation of eight other botanicals ranging from Chinese star anise to local Drumshanbo meadowsweet. The gin is then rested for up to 30 days, allowing the oils to settle, after which it undergoes a very light cold filtration. It’s an extra step, but it’s essential for Rigney’s ideal flavor profile: Certain botanicals go bitter if you boil them. Add to that the fact that it’s all done in medieval-style copper stills (the increased copper surface area acts to “purify” the flavors) and you’ve got a serious labor of love. Every precious drop of Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin is slow-distilled by hand and proudly bottled, sealed, and labelled by the team in the distillery. 7. You’re Drinking a Love Story.

The nose is light and citrus-forward. The more delicate handling of the citrus ingredients is quite evident here. Fresh lemon zest highlights a subtle herbaceous, sagey juniper with the slightest hint of green tea and meadowsweet. Gunpowder Gin excels as a mixing gin despite it’s seemingly ostentatious botanical blend. It’s smooth enough for a Martini, while flavorful enough to stand out in a Gin and Juice. The Botanist is similarly complex but has a subtler nose. It features pine, roots and woody notes and has a bigger, warmer finish than Drumshanbo Gunpowder. Slowly dried Chinese green tea is blended with eight botanicals and three types of citrus to create a smooth gin with bold and fresh flavors.If that seems like high praise— it indeed is. Drumshanbo Gunpowder Gin is a delightful, well-balanced, but botanically loud contemporary style gin— that doesn’t forget its roots and the juniper. Gunpowder Gin works extremely well in citrus drinks like the Tom Collins, the Gimlet, the Bronx and even the Hot Toddy. The combination of botanicals though somewhat eccentric is well balanced. The green tea is at the fore. Gunpowder Gin does justice to its namesake. However, where this really stands out for me is how it balances the botanicals. Enough juniper for classic gin fans, but also heavy on the citrus and herbs, without overpowering each other. If you don’t have gunpowder tea on hand, it’s ok to skip it. Or, feel free to experiment with a complex green tea you might have on hand.