By Day One – Cucamelon Gin
Style: London Dry
ABV: 46%
Notable Botanicals: Cucamelons, Juniper (full botanicals not listed)
The Tasting Experience:
When swirling in the glass, it’s obvious this gin has little residual sugar. Due to the higher ABV, the spirit comes off with hot ethanol on the senses. I imagine this will be a consistent experience with most of the gins from the advent calendar, as they are all listed at 46%. The aroma is juniper forward.
While tasting the juniper is upfront and personal, with bright citrus right behind. Think lime and orange oils. This does remind me of eating raw cucamelons, which I’ve tried, but not overwhelmingly so. The gin itself is very clean, warm, and dry, and finishes with some nice peppery spice to it. This is light, but definitely in tune with the dry London Dry gins we all know.
I normally sample gins on their own at room temperature, but adding ice to this really helped open up the more subtle flavours. All good gins reveal different notes when sampled on it’s own, over ice, and then with tonic. Don’t be afraid to do the same with this one.
What are Cucamelons?
Cucamelons are an edible fruit grown on a vine. They are commonly referred to as part of the cucumber family, as they taste quite similar. The fruit itself is the size of a grape, and looks like tiny watermelons. The texture is quite watery, but they have a lot of bright citrus flavours as well. They originated in Mexico and Central America.
Gin and Jess 