Review: St. George Botanivore Gin
Review: St. George Botanivore Gin
Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to interview St. George Master Distiller, Lance Winters. I learned that whiskey got him into distilling back in the 1990s, but gin has since become a real passion, as much as any other spirit in his distillery’s wide-ranging portfolio. St. George offers not one, not two, but a triplet of gins (plus a barrel-aged offering). Each is a unique style with its own blend of botanicals (and, in the case of Dry Rye, a unique rye base spirit). Today, we complete the full trifecta with a look at Botanivore.
Described on the label as “a botanical balancing act of the highest order,” Botanivore sports an impressively long gin bill of 18 different botanicals (plus the requisite juniper). Angelica root, bergamot peel, black peppercorn, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon, citra hops, coriander, dill seed, fennel seed, ginger, lemon peel, lime peel, orris root, Seville orange peel, and star anise are all distilled with the base spirit in the distillery’s Holstein pot still. Juniper, California bay laurel, and fresh cilantro are added via a gin basket. Let’s see how it stacks up against the other St. George gins.
This is by far the most classic gin expression from St. George, but it shows just as much versatility and depth of flavor as the more unique offerings. The nose is rich and beautifully balanced with cascading notes of soft juniper, pine resin, fennel, lime zest, pepper, and baking spice. Layered and complex with an airy, citrusy sweetness, this is an aroma clearly built to savor. It seems almost a shame to subdue it in a cocktail. On the palate, things kick off with top notes of plump juniper berry, bright with a resinous sweetness that dissolves into a light, silky texture. An early flourish of gingery spice lingers, complementing an easy warmth. The midpalate transitions to dry, green herbs — cilantro and dill most notably — and a lacing of dark licorice, all of which offer up a contrasting earthy dimension. The finish returns to the forest floor but adds some brighter elements with notes of lemony hops, candied orange, and lime wedge before concluding with a long kiss of pine, mint, and ginger. Great in pretty much any cocktail, but ideal in a gin martini. Botanivore completes a string of aces for the St. George gin lineup.
90 proof.
A / $30 [BUY IT NOW FROM TOTAL WINE] [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR]
St. George Botanivore Gin
$30
Great review, Drew. Totally agree, “… [I]deal in a gin martini.”
I’m a bit of an outlier on this one (all of our tastes are a bit different, which makes these reviews interesting). To me the star anise is overpowering and something that I just can’t get beyond in a martini. I finished my he bottle by mixing 50/50 with a navy strength gin to quiet the anise/licorice. That turned out to make a fine martini, but not something that I’d buy again. With that though, I do appreciate the craftsmanship of this distillery and will at some point try their other gin expressions.