Uploaded January 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
You can skip ahead, but you’ll miss a lot of great information along the way!
Shortcuts/Timecodes:
0:00 – Intro
4:27 – Ballykeefe Nosing
5:21 – Ballykeefe Tasting
6:49 – Alkkemist Nosing
7:35 – Alkkemist Tasting
9:30 – Isle of Harris Nosing
10:23 – Isle of Harris Tasting
12:30 – Rested Botanist Nosing
13:44 – Rested Botanist Tasting
16:12 – Grand Cabaret Nosing
17:40 – Grand Cabaret Tasting
20:02 – Los Poblanos Nosing
21:00 – Los Poblanos Tasting
It’s time to lineup and review some great gins for you. I wanted to showcase a few bottles that have a wide spectrum of flavors (for all “skill levels”) and are currently available. I even tried to include two that even people that “don’t like gin” may find actually enjoyable. Okay, let’s take a look at the bottles I’ll be reviewing.
Ballykeefe Gin is produced with 12 botanicals that are vapour infused in an Italian copper pot still, to create an extra dry Gin of exceptional quality which was recognized when it was awarded Gold on its first attempt in the premier “London Dry” category at the 2019 World Gin Awards. It’s bottled at 80 proof and retails around $35.
Alkkemist Gin features a base of triple-distilled grain spirit and 21 different botanicals interestingly including Muscat grape alongside orange and lemon peel rose petals samphire fennel thyme and mint among others. It’s also said to only be distilled 12 times a year by the light of the full moon! This is one that even non- gin drinkers will most likely enjoy and should make for a unique spin of traditional gin cocktails. It’s bottled at 80 proof and retails around $40-$45.
Isle of Harris Gin is their first gin offering from our Scottish island distillery. It’s created in a small copper gin still ("The Dotach") and contains only the best “hearts cuts” from the center of distillation run (no heads or tails). Their key local ingredient is Sugar Kelp seaweed, gathered sustainably by hand from local sea-lochs, as our key botanical to express our island's unique maritime nature. Sugar Kelp works in harmony with seven other botanicals: Juniper, coriander seeds, cubebs, cassia bark, angelica root, bitter orange peel, and liquorice root. It’s bottled at 90 proof and retails around $45-$50.
The Botanist Rested Gin embodies Bruichladdich Distillery’s Whisky-making heritage and botanical expertise. Their Islay dry gin is made from a cuvée of 16 different cask types and aged in Bruichladdich’s warehouse for a minimum of six months. The fragrant notes of 22 hand-foraged botanicals (including mugwort leaves and heather flowers) combine with wood spices to create a vibrant and complex gin. This and Ransom Old Tom gin are my go-to “Old Tom Gins” as both don’t add sugar (as a many do) but rather rely on the time in the barrels to impart natural wood sugars. The Botanist Rested Gin is bottled at 92 proof and retails around $50-$55.
Hendricks Grand Cabaret Gin is a Limited Edition from the company’s “Cabinet of Curiosities” and is a spirit Hendrick’s labels as an extravagant “fruity gin.” It’s that heavy fruit that I believe can win over some non-gin drinkers to this bottle. And while I don’t believe this will lend itself easily into traditional gin cocktails, I can see it creating several on its own or substituting for a vodka in theirs (like a summer Vodka Smash). It’s bottled at 86.8 proof and retails around $40-$45.
Los Poblanos Lavender Gin is one I lucked into while traveling through Albuquerque, NM. I stopped into their Historic Inn & Organic Farm and while looking around I got to sample it in their Farm Shop. It’s distilled in New Mexico with four distinct cultivars to express the floral complexity in their favorite botanical. Royal Velvet, Provence, Munstead and Buena Vista lavender combine alongside additional botanicals including viola, orange, rose and lemongrass. Perfect for many botanical forward cocktails, and well-suited for sipping over a large cube. They recommend a Lavender Gimlet or a floral take on a classic Bees Knees. While their actual state distribution is very limited, it is available online and they ship to 34 states! It’s bottled at 88 proof and sells for $44.
As of January 2025, my current bottle count is over 3,000. I am a Certified Specialist of Spirits and have also been accredited by the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT). I've been actively collecting for three decades and what started as a small basic home bar has transformed (with the help and understanding of my wonderful wife) into this collection and career. Speaking of my career, I’m proud to announce that my “Saints Alley “Nobleman” Rye Whiskey was named “Best American Rye” at the 2024 World Whisky Awards! But don’t forget about our Bourbons on Total Wine shelves! Our Flagship Port & Cognac just got a Double Platinum at Fred Minnick's 2024 Ascot Awards, and "The Herald” Armagnac finished Bourbon took a Double Gold at the Whiskies of the World competition! Thanks for watching & please remember to drink responsibly. Cheers!
You can skip ahead, but you’ll miss a lot of great information along the way!
Shortcuts/Timecodes:
0:00 – Intro
4:27 – Ballykeefe Nosing
5:21 – Ballykeefe Tasting
6:49 – Alkkemist Nosing
7:35 – Alkkemist Tasting
9:30 – Isle of Harris Nosing
10:23 – Isle of Harris Tasting
12:30 – Rested Botanist Nosing
13:44 – Rested Botanist Tasting
16:12 – Grand Cabaret Nosing
17:40 – Grand Cabaret Tasting
20:02 – Los Poblanos Nosing
21:00 – Los Poblanos Tasting
It’s time to lineup and review some great gins for you. I wanted to showcase a few bottles that have a wide spectrum of flavors (for all “skill levels”) and are currently available. I even tried to include two that even people that “don’t like gin” may find actually enjoyable. Okay, let’s take a look at the bottles I’ll be reviewing.
Ballykeefe Gin is produced with 12 botanicals that are vapour infused in an Italian copper pot still, to create an extra dry Gin of exceptional quality which was recognized when it was awarded Gold on its first attempt in the premier “London Dry” category at the 2019 World Gin Awards. It’s bottled at 80 proof and retails around $35.
Alkkemist Gin features a base of triple-distilled grain spirit and 21 different botanicals interestingly including Muscat grape alongside orange and lemon peel rose petals samphire fennel thyme and mint among others. It’s also said to only be distilled 12 times a year by the light of the full moon! This is one that even non- gin drinkers will most likely enjoy and should make for a unique spin of traditional gin cocktails. It’s bottled at 80 proof and retails around $40-$45.
Isle of Harris Gin is their first gin offering from our Scottish island distillery. It’s created in a small copper gin still ("The Dotach") and contains only the best “hearts cuts” from the center of distillation run (no heads or tails). Their key local ingredient is Sugar Kelp seaweed, gathered sustainably by hand from local sea-lochs, as our key botanical to express our island's unique maritime nature. Sugar Kelp works in harmony with seven other botanicals: Juniper, coriander seeds, cubebs, cassia bark, angelica root, bitter orange peel, and liquorice root. It’s bottled at 90 proof and retails around $45-$50.
The Botanist Rested Gin embodies Bruichladdich Distillery’s Whisky-making heritage and botanical expertise. Their Islay dry gin is made from a cuvée of 16 different cask types and aged in Bruichladdich’s warehouse for a minimum of six months. The fragrant notes of 22 hand-foraged botanicals (including mugwort leaves and heather flowers) combine with wood spices to create a vibrant and complex gin. This and Ransom Old Tom gin are my go-to “Old Tom Gins” as both don’t add sugar (as a many do) but rather rely on the time in the barrels to impart natural wood sugars. The Botanist Rested Gin is bottled at 92 proof and retails around $50-$55.
Hendricks Grand Cabaret Gin is a Limited Edition from the company’s “Cabinet of Curiosities” and is a spirit Hendrick’s labels as an extravagant “fruity gin.” It’s that heavy fruit that I believe can win over some non-gin drinkers to this bottle. And while I don’t believe this will lend itself easily into traditional gin cocktails, I can see it creating several on its own or substituting for a vodka in theirs (like a summer Vodka Smash). It’s bottled at 86.8 proof and retails around $40-$45.
Los Poblanos Lavender Gin is one I lucked into while traveling through Albuquerque, NM. I stopped into their Historic Inn & Organic Farm and while looking around I got to sample it in their Farm Shop. It’s distilled in New Mexico with four distinct cultivars to express the floral complexity in their favorite botanical. Royal Velvet, Provence, Munstead and Buena Vista lavender combine alongside additional botanicals including viola, orange, rose and lemongrass. Perfect for many botanical forward cocktails, and well-suited for sipping over a large cube. They recommend a Lavender Gimlet or a floral take on a classic Bees Knees. While their actual state distribution is very limited, it is available online and they ship to 34 states! It’s bottled at 88 proof and sells for $44.
As of January 2025, my current bottle count is over 3,000. I am a Certified Specialist of Spirits and have also been accredited by the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT). I've been actively collecting for three decades and what started as a small basic home bar has transformed (with the help and understanding of my wonderful wife) into this collection and career. Speaking of my career, I’m proud to announce that my “Saints Alley “Nobleman” Rye Whiskey was named “Best American Rye” at the 2024 World Whisky Awards! But don’t forget about our Bourbons on Total Wine shelves! Our Flagship Port & Cognac just got a Double Platinum at Fred Minnick's 2024 Ascot Awards, and "The Herald” Armagnac finished Bourbon took a Double Gold at the Whiskies of the World competition! Thanks for watching & please remember to drink responsibly. Cheers!
