Boyle's Gin: A No-nonsense Gin For Drinkers Who Favour Flavour Over Gimmicks.
When we heard that Aldi were planning to stock a total of eight Gins in time for Christmas, we were excited. When we heard that each one was going to be priced below £20.00, we were a little dubious... After all, how good could a sub-£20.00 Gin, claiming 'Craft' status, really be? Well, based on our first sampling for our Aldi, Everyday Amazing, Gin reviews the answer is that a Craft Gin costing less than £20.00 can be exceptional, and should raise a few questions about similar products costing twice the price.
Boyle's Gin hails from West Waterford's Blackwater Distillery, and won 'Best Irish Gin' at last year's Irish Whiskey Awards. The man behind the distillery is spirits writer, and television producer, Peter Mulryan; a man renowned for his no-nonsense approach and disdain for gimmicks, resulting in a deliberately old-school distillery focussing on utilising local botanicals for their taste rather than for their token value as marketing gimmicks. Such a hands-on approach can lengthen the distillation process, but the distillers believe that the end result is worth it and, based on our tasting, we'd have to agree.
On the Nose
Juniper definitely comes to the fore, as it should, but it's not as overpowering as in some Gins and allows other aromas to come through; first citrus, followed by apple and, more subtly, a sweet earthiness with just a hint of elderflower. Everything is well balanced, and the juniper seems to compliment, rather than overpower, the other botanicals whilst still having the strength to remind us which botanical is in charge.
Tasting Notes
Tasted neat, the initial Juniper carries through onto the palate, with citrus notes following, and apple not far behind. Once blackcurrants and elderflower come through, they seem perfectly balanced and create an incredibly pleasant ensemble with their more prominent partners. Enter a little warmth, and this helps to add an overall smoothness to the drink. The finish is one of lingering autumnal deliciousness combined with an exceptional warmth, which combine to create a delightful aftertaste leaving the drinker wanting more...Much more. This is a wonderful Gin, and one we'd happily recommend to be sipped neat.
Perfect Serve
This is where things get interesting, because the choice of mixer and garnish demonstrate just how versatile this Gin is. Key botanicals, in addition to juniper, include blackcurrants, apples and elderflower. Paired with Fever-Tree Premium Indian Tonic Water, with blackberries and an apple fan for garnish, the Gin wowed with the apple coming to the fore, both in taste and aroma (We used Cox's Orange Pippin for a more complex flavour). However, based on the neat tasting, we felt that the Gin still had more to offer. Changing to Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic, retaining the apple and blackberries for garnish, came closer to our perfect serve, whilst the same Tonic, with a lime wedge for garnish, created a more summery feel to the Gin. Our advice...Go with Mediterranean Tonic, keep the apple, but be wiling to experiment with other garnishes...This is an incredibly versatile Gin.
Conclusion
This is a Gin that can certainly be enjoyed on its own, or with nothing other than ice. It works extremely well in a G&T, and is incredibly versatile, and, at only £19.99, this Gin is Highly Recommended. Buy it, experiment with it, enjoy it.
Where to Buy
To buy Boyle's Gin from Aldi.co.uk click here.
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