Review: Gabriel Boudier Saffron Infused Gin
One look at Gabriel Boudier’s saffron gin and you are instantly intrigued. The king of the spice world married with spirits royalty?
The result is intriguing to say the least, but it’s unfortunately somewhere short of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier. I tried a tiny sample of Boudier at last year’s WhiskyFest but now that I’ve got a full bottle to tinker with, I’m delving deeper into the juice.
First you’ll note the bright, Tang-like orange color. Alas, it’s not all from saffron: The product “contains certified color and FD&C Yellow #5,” which is kind of a letdown. There is saffron in the gin, however, along with the usual botanicals, plus the curious addition of fennel, too. So that’s a good thing.
And on to the tasting. The nose is surprisingly traditional, with juniper taking center stage and some citrus notes beneath that. But sipping is a different beast. The juniper fades away and the saffron becomes clearer. Yes, the fennel is also there, and together with the traditional gin notes it’s quite pleasant sipping on its own. Very mild, on the whole, but different than most other gins on the market.
Doesn’t work in martinis, however. Even sans olives, this just doesn’t marry well with vermouth. Leave it on its own or try with tonic, as Boudier recommends. Definitely a curiosity worth seeking out if your a gin fanatic.
80 proof.
B / $30 / boudier.com [BUY IT NOW FROM DRIZLY]
Gabriel Boudier Saffron Infused Gin
$30
About Post Author
Have a bottle of this, and while it’s intriguing, I’m finding it very challenging in making cocktails with it. Some o notes:
– so so in a negroni. I make my negronis 1/1/1 with Punt e Mes, and the safron doesn’t play well with that mix. Switched to Martini Rossi and it worked a bit better
– gin and Q Tonic – very nice, but have to find a balance
– martini – echo the author’s comments – just doesn’t play well with dry vermouth
– martinez – slightly better.
– Tom Collins works sorta okay
That’s the limit of my taste experimentation yet. I want this gin to WORK well in something. Smell is nice, straight up taste is quite nice.
Mark – There are some recipes on the Gabriel Boudier site that look interesting… haven’t tried them yet, though.
Has lots of intriging recipes
I also found a great simple recipe from the importer
2 oz saffron Gin
1/2 oz Da Vinci Natural Peach syrup
2 oz sweet & sour or juice of 1/2 medium lemon and 1/2 oz Agave nectar
shake and serve in a martini glass Garnish with a fresh peach slice
i have a bar in shanghai 200042 China…i like saffron ..want sale some saffron gin
hi, 2 days ago i’ve drunk Gabriel Boudier Saffron Infused Gin whitch wasn’t my. n now i need to buy it back. the problem is i live in poland. got any ideas?
After trying a cocktail at a bar using saffron infused gin (I seem to remember that cocktail being the lemongrass saffron martini that appears when I googled saffron infused gin), I made my own saffron gin – very very easy and very quick. My version is a little heavier on the saffron – easily remedied. So far the only thing I’ve found really successful is mixing the gin martini style with a little orange zest and orange juice. I tried vermouth last night – not good! – glad to know I’m not alone. I’m curious about mixing with campari. Limoncello and lemon juice was not a success. I will keep experimenting because the gin I’ve made is so unusual.