Boatyard Winter Solstice Gin

The Facts

Yes, Christmas is over but that’s definitely Christmas in a bottle
Juniper, okay. But this has spices and winter-y feels all over it
Smells like ginger bread, but not overly sweet. Rather a fruity sweetness, in my opinion
Oranges or tangerines might be in here, and definitely some Christmas spices (however one would define them)

Is this even a gin? Very slight juniper notes, which certainly do not dominte (and they didn’t do so when nosing this gin, either)
It reminds me a bit of grape-based gins I’ve tried in the past. But this time very round, soft and not too sweet
It has some spicy and very flavorful (almost savory) taste to it which I could not get a hold of, so I read it on the label: Christmas pudding! Damn, those British traditions should find its way to continental Europe – I absolutely love this!
Do yourselves a favor and google “Christmas pudding” if you are – just like myself – not familiar with this typical British and Irish dish. Reading how it’s made alone got me a feeling of where the complexity of this dram stems from… overwhelming!

I don’t think ice is necessary to enjoy this very special gin, but here we go…
The “gin taste” (define it as you wish) flattens out a bit
You’re left with even more pudding and – at least I think so – the sweetness of grapes and winter spices such as to be found in ginger bread or spiced biscuits
Nope, I liked it a lot better without ice

First up: Fever-Tree Indian Tonic
- Well, this actually isn’t too bad. The gin itself has very little to no citrus notes to it and the Indian tonic adds a few of these
- Not that this Winter Solstice needed them, but they are somehow working well in here
- None the less, this mix does not (yet) convince me of not sipping the entire bottle neat…
Second: Fever-Tree Mediterranean
- Ok now that’s actually very good
- I unwillingly poured much more than the usual 0.5 cl into my little tasting glass and I don’t regret it
- The gin is smooth and warm. Winter-y, indeed. And the herbal notes of the Mediterranean tonic really do this gin a favor by further supporting this flavor profile without overpowering on the spices and herbs
- What a lucky (long) pour!

I’ve had just a few of such proclaimed “winter gins” or “Christmas gins”
None really disappointed me, while most distillers worked with a Sloe Gin version of their own
This one, right here, is a true stunner. I’m not sure if I’d enjoy it equally in summer, but I certainly have an (additional) reason now to be looking forward to next Christmas
I highly recommend sipping this neat or in a stirred, spirit-forward cocktail with not too many other (and maybe distracting) ingredients
The Boatyard Winter Solstice will surely work its magic in Martinez- or Negroni-style drinks