Review: Elephant Gin
Elephant Gin is a London dry style gin that’s made in Germany by distillers enamored with the bush-life of South Africa. As such, the gin is designed to “capture the spirit of Africa,” blending 14 botanicals that include “rare African ingredients” and fresh apples — the signature flavor note of the product. (Other botanicals are not disclosed.)
Here’s a fun fact: “Elephant Gin’s [standard size] labels are hand-written by a calligrapher and carry the name of a past great tusker or elephant that its partner foundations currently help to protect. Each 50ml miniature bottle bears the name of one of the 22 elephants that Elephant Gin is currently a foster-parent of. These are great success stories to tell and highlight the wonderful work of Sheldrick Wildlife Trust – an elephant orphanage near Nairobi.” 15 percent of the company’s profits go to support elephant-related conservation charities.
Elephant Gin comes in overproof, aged, and sloe varieties, but today we look just at the primary product, a standard proof London Dry.
Thoughts follow.
Elephant Gin Review
Juniper is overwhelmingly dominant on the nose, with some traditional coriander earthiness just underneath. Bold and aggressive, it’s unabashed in its peppery London dryness, though a gentle, fruity sweetness emerges as the juniper fades a bit with time in glass.
The palate is gentler than the juniper-heavy nose would indicate, and though I don’t detect a clear apple character, there is plenty of fruit here — a mix of lemon, orange peel, and green grapes — alongside a healthy note of thyme and a thick slice of gingerbread. The finish keeps the focus on the fruit, and it’s here that a tart green apple note becomes more evident and, dare I say, refreshing.
A fine piece of work!
90 proof.
A- / $35 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT] [BUY IT NOW FROM THE WHISKY EXCHANGE]
Elephant Gin
USD35
