Never Never Distilling Co. Juniper Freak Gin 2018

Re-tasted October 10, 2024. I mixed up some Negronis with this and they were fantastic - the best I have ever prepared. The flavor was truly surprising, it was so rich (I used Carpano Antica as the vermouth). After all this time, I've discovered the key - use the most flavorful gin possible for a Negroni. Navy strength works well too, but flavor intensity is what matters most. Delicate gins are fine for a G&T, of course, but a Negroni demands a powerful gin to truly shine. I suspect this was clear to many of you already, but I don't often make this drink because I was never satisfied with it before - now I understand why. This gin is likely impossible to find outside of Australia, but I'm sure you can find something similarly potent in your region. Cheers! "Excellent": 88/100 (4.5 stars) -------------------------------- Blind gin tasting, Sydney, April 20, 2019. Last Saturday, I participated in a blind tasting of 9 gins, and I'm documenting the group's collective notes here, ordered from lowest to highest score. Gin #4 that day was Never-Never Distilling Co. Juniper Freak Gin. It tied for 1st place in the scoring and received strong praise from everyone present. This gin is truly a celebration of juniper. Its profile is almost entirely a showcase for that botanical, and the intensity is so high that you perceive every possible aroma and flavor that can be extracted. Any critique that it's just a "one-note" profile misses the intention – it's designed to be that way. The aroma is immense, packed with baking spices, chamomile, elderflower, pepper, anise, lemon, and sage. There's also a significant alcohol presence, but it's not unpleasant and suits the vast aromas it carries. The palate is equally substantial, led by a black pepper note (I believe this comes from pepperberry, an Australian native ingredient and the only local component used). Following that are very strong juniper notes (though it's quite sweet as well as potent), anise, lemon extract, and a lively herbal bouquet. The finish is extremely long; it goes on and on, with recurring subtle hints of the palate. Adding tonic to this gin amplified the oils rather than diluting the flavor. It's a bold, assertive gin. You might think that something this intense with such a focused character would lack subtlety, but the layers it reveals are unexpected. "Excellent": 88/100 (4.5 stars)