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Gin and frankincense

post #1 of 18
1/4/11 at 7:21am
Thread Starter 
I was reading an article about gin. I always knew that gin is a complex assembly of juniper and various aromatics. The idea of juniper appeals to my Conehead tastes. The article mentioned, "lemon, bitter orange peel, anise, angelica, licorice, cinnamon, savory, lime, grapefruit, saffron, coriander, nutmeg and frankincense ." Well, that certainly got my attention.
I like the taste of dry gin, but haven't made a point of drinking it, apart from the odd G&T in the summer. But the frankincense angle intrigues me. Can anyone comment, or recommend a gin which really has that note?
I remember reading about Lubin's "Gin Fizz" scent, and thinking that it sounded nice.
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post #2 of 18
1/4/11 at 10:40am
The title of this thread was all I needed to see...

You need to try Citadelle Gin. It's a French gin. It has more botanicals than any other gin I've ever tried. I don't favor it when making a martini-- but it makes the absolute best gin and tonic in the world. I see no frankincense listed as a note --the botanicals listed are as follows: violet root, paradise grain, orange peel, cardamom, anise, cubeb, coriander, lemon peel, cassia, licorice, savory, nutmeg, angelica, cumin, cinnamon, almond, iris root, juniper, fennel. For whatever reason though, I've always tasted a wonderfu spicy, slightly dusty incensey character in Citadelle-- one of my favorites.
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post #3 of 18
1/4/11 at 11:14am
Thread Starter 
An internet search revealed the following. Those in the U.K. should check it out.

A distillery known as Sacred Spirits. http://www.sacredspiritscompany.com/
Sacred Gin is a microdistillery gin produced in Highgate, North London, using 12 different botanicals including Juniper, Cardamom, Nutmeg, and Boswellia Sacra (aka Hougary Frankincense) from which the product name is derived.
Now also available is Sacred Vodka produced using the same low temperature vacuum technique, but with a different array of 7 botanicals, including Indonesian Cubeb, Nutmeg and Frankincense for a clean upfront taste and a long spicy and warm finish on the palate.
And, the distillery has its own wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Microdistillery
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post #4 of 18
1/4/11 at 11:26am
Ody, knowing your fragrance tastes, I'm surprised you drink anything other than gin, ever!

Edit: I can't comment specifically on frankincense in gin, but do I know that some gins I've tasted have a certain chalky brightness about them that does remind me of frankincense...think Prada Infusion d'Homme. Could just be the combination of spices and botanicals that gives me that effect, because I notice it pretty often.
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post #5 of 18
1/4/11 at 3:27pm
Thread Starter 
The matter is interesting. I found a site that listed about 40 gins, both British and Dutch. The only product which specifically mentions frankincense is the Sacred Gin, noted above. Yet it is fairly widely reported that gins may contain frankincense. It may be a "secret" ingredient, although surely frankincense would have a certain cachet and appeal... 3 Wise Men and all that ;-)
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post #6 of 18
1/4/11 at 4:23pm
My favourite gin was always Bombay Sapphire , a beautiful smooth aromatic gin , if its your tipple of choice then really give it a whirl
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post #7 of 18
1/4/11 at 4:36pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pour_Monsieur View Post

My favourite gin was always Bombay Sapphire , a beautiful smooth aromatic gin , if its your tipple of choice then really give it a whirl

I've had some friends recommend Bombay Sapphire, it is a lovely bottle. Must give it a try.
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post #8 of 18
1/4/11 at 8:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Indie_Guy View Post

The title of this thread was all I needed to see...

You need to try Citadelle Gin. It's a French gin.

It is made by the Pierre Ferrand family, one of the few family owned producers of Cognac. They also have some unique production methods, using a triple distillation in a column still, followed by a fourth (when the botanicals go in) in a small cognac copper pot still. Mix it with Fever Tree tonic water and you'll be a convert for sure.

Another one to try is Hendrick's, which is made in Scotland and adds the unique twist of cucumber and roses to their gin. Pricey, but worth a go for the true gin connoisseur.
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post #9 of 18
1/5/11 at 11:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scentsational View Post

It is made by the Pierre Ferrand family, one of the few family owned producers of Cognac. They also have some unique production methods, using a triple distillation in a column still, followed by a fourth (when the botanicals go in) in a small cognac copper pot still. Mix it with Fever Tree tonic water and you'll be a convert for sure.

Another one to try is Hendrick's, which is made in Scotland and adds the unique twist of cucumber and roses to their gin. Pricey, but worth a go for the true gin connoisseur.

Hendrick's is one of my faves as well!

I started out with Bombay Sapphire-- it's still my standard all purpose gin to keep around the house. Sometimes I'll buy Tanqueray Ten, which makes a good martini. For martinis, I like Hendrick's, Bombay Sapphire and Tanqueray Ten. For gin and tonics, Citadelle is my #1.

I remember a very good gin (discontinued) called Tanqueray Malacca. It was very spicy. I wouldn't make a martini with it, but it was a amazing for gin and tonics.

I'll have to get a bottle of Sacred Gin-- still, do check out Citadelle--whatever is in it, it smells like frankincense and it also has a nice nose of nutmeg. A very deep, meditative smelling gin.
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post #10 of 18
1/5/11 at 12:11pm
Well, while we're making general gin recommendations, I'll speak for good ol' Beefeater.

Butch name, but a fairly gentle, well-calibrated gin for the price. It does a good job of splitting the difference between super-green and spicy gins, and the sweeter, fruiter options that gin fans tend to scoff at. Very pleasant and versatile.

But yeah, if you're ok with spending the bucks, Hendrick's is great. It's totally refreshing, and very graceful.
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post #11 of 18
1/6/11 at 8:00am
Gin is not always my friend, for some reason, but I like the idea of those intriguing aromatics, especially frankincense! I will make it a point to try some Citadelle some time if/when I encounter it. Wish I had some tonight. This thread reminds me of a fragrance by profumo.it called Persona, which I sampled a year or so ago. The listed notes are Vetiver, Frankincense, and Neroli. That combination of notes gave me the impression of fresh, green fir branches. I really liked that fragrance.
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post #12 of 18
1/6/11 at 9:17am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by lilybelle View Post

...a fragrance by profumo.it called Persona, which I sampled a year or so ago. The listed notes are Vetiver, Frankincense, and Neroli. That combination of notes gave me the impression of fresh, green fir branches. I really liked that fragrance.

That sounds marvelous! :-)
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post #13 of 18
1/6/11 at 5:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by odysseusm View Post

That sounds marvelous! :-)

It was one of my favorites of the ones I tried as part of a sampling group. Gosh, I wish I still had the sample, I'd send it to you.
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post #14 of 18
1/6/11 at 6:53pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by lilybelle View Post

It was one of my favorites of the ones I tried as part of a sampling group. Gosh, I wish I still had the sample, I'd send it to you.

How kind! I'll enter it into my database and find a way to snag some.
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post #15 of 18
1/13/11 at 2:25am
Hello Guys - I am the distiller of Sacred Gin, and can assure you it is the ONLY gin on the market that uses Frankincense as one of the botanicals. The reason I started playing with it in the first place was because turpentiney notes were historically present in London Dry Gins, (probably from pine or similar woods), but had until recently been completely absent. I decided to use the highest grade of Omani Royal (Hougari) Frankincense instead of pine or oak, and got a fabulous result - much deeper, sweeter and more exotic than any other wood. The gentle resinosity is a wonderful balance for the juniper and fresh cut citrus peels, in particular. There are only 4 distillers left in London today including Beefeater and myself - so what you get is a Genuine London Dry gin distilled in London! Citadelle is distilled in France, and Hendricks in Scotland - where the cucumber flavour is added after distillation as a compounding additive.
best wishes
Ian Hart
www.sacredgin.com
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post #16 of 18
1/13/11 at 7:24am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the informative note, Ian. And best wishes with your business. Are Sacred Gin and also Sacred Vodka available outside of the UK?
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post #17 of 18
1/13/11 at 7:59am
Hello again - Sacred Gin should become available in the US (and possibly Canada) in the spring.
best wishes
Ian
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post #18 of 18
1/13/11 at 8:21am
How nice that you came here to tell us about it, Ian! Welcome! I'm looking forward to trying Sacred Gin. If that's not a sanctioned tipple I don't know what is.
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Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › General Discussion › Off topic › Gin and frankincense