Archie Rose Tailored Gin

This is feedback on a gin-blending class and custom gin experience, not a particular item. Continue reading for clarification. Archie Rose is a distillery in Rosebery, a Sydney suburb. They offer events, tastings, tours, and "visitor experiences," and this write-up covers their Gin-Blending Class and Tailored Gin. Archie Rose gins are all made using a combination of distillation and blending. Each botanical is distilled separately and then these distillates are combined. This method provides adaptability in creating new styles and maintaining consistency. It also enables them to host blending classes where you can craft your own gin using a base spirit and a selection of their botanical distillates. If you're satisfied with your gin, you can save the recipe on their website, and the distillery will produce it on demand with a personalized label – this is an Archie Rose "Tailored Gin". A friend and I attended such a class recently, and the highlight for me was sampling various pure botanical distillates. Some were as expected, but others were surprising, revealing aromas and flavors I hadn't previously identified correctly. However, not seeing or participating in any actual distillation felt like a missed chance. I also felt it was a shame that the base spirit used for creating your gin recipe is the standard Archie Rose gin, meaning you're essentially flavoring their product rather than making a truly personalized gin. I don't grasp why they choose this approach instead of allowing free mixing of distillates or building upon a neutral spirit base. Perhaps it's due to their liquor license. The event cost AUS$115, and we both found it enjoyable. The class includes a tasting of six Archie Rose products. It would have been even better if we could have done actual distillation and created something genuinely unique. Nevertheless, it was a pleasant day out, and I'd suggest it if you're in Sydney at some point. "Good Fun": 80/100 (3 stars)