Modern Love Gin

Rating: 18/23 Today is National Gin & Tonic Day, a made-up holiday that also happens to fall on Easter, but I suppose I'll open this anyway. Nose: An initial alcohol sharpness gives way to juniper and floral notes. Candied citrus fruits emerge, possibly with hints of clove and allspice. It almost resembles the start of a Christmas cake. Palate: This is clean, yet surprisingly full-bodied. No off-flavors. It's sweet without being overly so, with a pleasant spectrum of citrus, moving from lemon (not the primary note) to tangerine, and even a touch of cherry. It's like candied citrus peel. Very fruity, but not excessively, and not overwhelmingly floral, though there is a little and a hint of vanilla. Hints of baking spices appear at times, with clove, allspice, and ginger being the most prominent. Finish: Similar to the rest, this is clean. A clean water flavor with sweetness is present, combined with juniper that treads a fine line with a strange vegetal note. It's herbal, certainly, with hints of lemon peel and a faint amount of some sweeter fruit. Perhaps a hint of allspice and ginger. - Conclusion - This is unexpectedly excellent. Truly, one of the finest gins I've encountered. It surpasses Doc Porter's (15/23) by being less peculiar. New Riff Kentucky Wild Gin (17/23) offers more complexity but is thinner with more minerality and a stronger alcohol presence. They are quite similar, but I prefer this one. Monkey 47 (18/23) is less rich than this, but more intricate. It's like a more mature version that dispenses with some of the youthful exuberance. However, they are very close. I had thought the Monkey was a 19, but it seems I rated it an 18. So this is a 17 or 18. I'm leaning towards an 18 because this is just so decadent.