Review

Goa Gin

World Wide Distillers, Madrid, Spain (made by Thames Distillers, Clapham, London England, UK).

World Wide Distillers and Goa Gin (in Spanish).

World Wide Distillers are part of the CINSA group, founded in 1963, and independently owned by the Spanish De la Fuente family. The Gin is produced by Thames Distillers in the UK and is run by Charles Maxwell who is the 8th generation of the family (founders of the Finsbury Distillery) who have been producing Gin since 1700 – making them the oldest unbroken lineage in Gin distillation.

The base spirit is made from English wheat grain and distilled five times, in two small stainless steel stills.

The Gin is presented in an unusual hexagonally shaped blue colored bottle, very similar in shape to the previous green colored Tanqueray No. 10 bottle.

London Dry Gin.

47% (94 Proof).

$$ - $$$. Not available in the USA, it is made exclusively for the Spanish market. You can purchase this from Uvinum but expect to pay a huge 400% more on the price for shipping.

8 botanicals are used including: angelica root, caraway seeds, cardamom pods, cassia bark, coriander seeds, cumin, juniper berries and nutmeg.

The Gin is named after the small state of Goa in India, as a nod to the traditional origins of many spices used in Gin production.

On the nose are juniper, pepper, faint citrus (lemon) and nutmeg with strong spice (cumin). On the palate this smooth spirit has a strong spice flavor (cumin, cardamom and coriander) with juniper, earthy angelica (even cilantro style notes) and light citrus (lemon) in the background. In the close the spice gives way to a slightly sweet yet dry savory finish. With a 47% ABV the spirit is incredibly soft and, with the spicy flavor, one certainly forgets how strong it is – drinking more than two could result in actions you may regret the day after!

This spiced Gin makes for an excellent wintertime drink and has similar qualities to Darnley’s View Spiced Gin (also made by Thames Distillers). It is perfectly fine to sip by itself with a little ice but is best placed in mixed drinks. This makes a spicy Gin & Tonic and we think ginger ale is perhaps a better choice to match the taste profile – certainly use a lime slice as garnish. There is a similar spicy taste in a Martini and we believe it is perhaps better in a Sweet Martini or to even use bitters rather than Vermouth, making a Pink Gin a very good choice. We really like this in a Negroni, think along the lines of mulled wine and you get close to how this tastes.

However, whilst Darnley’s View Spiced manages to retain its London Dry Gin profile, Goa Gin does not, it is unreservedly committed to being a spiced Gin. Traditionalists will either love it or loathe it (if you do not like a curry style flavor this is certainly not for you), we suggest trying it to see if you can embrace its warm spice qualities to your heart.

Bronze Medal, San Francisco World Spirits Competition, 2010.

Silver Medal, International Spirits Challenge, 2009.

Bronze Medal, The Gin Challenge, 2008.