Drinking The World

Rehorst Premium Milwaukee Gin is 44% abv. / 88 proof and is made in Milwaukee, WI by Great Lakes Distillery. I shot off an email to Guy Rehorst and asked him about the botanicals used in his gin and he got back to me immediately. He says it is made with nine botanicals: Juniper, Coriander, Cardamom, Saigon Cassia, Lemon peel, Orange peel, Anise, and two additional botanicals which it seems have never been used before to make a gin; Wisconsin Ginseng and Sweet Basil. Premium Wisconsin Ginseng is considered the finest ginseng in the world and eagerly sought after in Asia.

The aroma is big, really BIG. It instantly makes me think of some of the other new American style big gins out there like Bluecoat, Aviation, Back River, No. 6, etc. but it definitely has its own thing going on when it comes to the specifics. The base aroma is juniper, covered by a blanket of herbs and citrus, earthy roots, floral notes, you name it, but all so well blended that none rises too much above the rest. It's a bewitching and beguiling aroma. This is another one folks. A gin that grabbed me by the nose and I spent minutes just absorbing it all without even taking a taste. I love that the cardamom is present, but not overwhelming, and the hints of anise balance it out. I place this in my top five for best aroma, out of the many gins I have tried over the years.

The taste is very herbal, with the juniper again as a base note. Citrus winks through, a dash of sweetness, followed by a pleasantly sharp, lip tingling tang from the anise and cardamom. My mouth and then sinuses filled up with a burst of botanicals flooding through my head. I added a bit of ice and even more of the big botanical presence came through, a splash of water increased it even more so.

This is a big, big gin. One that says, "Here I am guys... Whatcha gonna do about it!"