Review: Amass Dry Gin
Amass is a new gin distilled and bottled in downtown Los Angeles, with a whopping 29 botanicals in the mix. (The company also makes a vodka… in Copenhagen, Denmark.)
The Amass Gin botanical list is right on front of the otherwise spare label, and it’s a doozy: Juniper, Coriander, Cedar Berries and Bark, Angelica, Orris Root, Cassia, Fennel, Licorice, Cubeb, Cascara Sagrada, Cacao, Cardamom, California Bay Leaf, Ginger, Fresh Lemon Peel, Fresh Grapefruit Peel, Bitter Orange Peel, Dried Lemon Peel, Hibiscus, Lion’s Mane Mushroom, Reishi Mushroom, Clove, Nutmeg, Ashwagandha, Sarsaparilla, Long Pepper, Grains of Paradise, and Kaffir Lime Leaf.
In case you didn’t make it through, that’s two different types of mushroom in the mix. Let’s give this unusual gin a whirl.
Right off it’s complex and unique, with a nose heavy on cardamom and coriander, outpacing the juniper that normally dominates in gin. Notes of bay leaf are detectable, as is a light smokiness. The palate is intensely earthy and herbal, almost green at times, though it is touched with a honey-like sweetness that livens things up. Notes of lemongrass, pepper, and bitter citrus peel notes are all significant, and fresh juniper notes pop throughout. On the finish, you finally catch those mushrooms, which gives the gin a real savory edge, albeit one that’s laced with sweetness, a la candy cap mushroom. Engaging yet sometimes a bit baffling, it’s a unique product for the gin enthusiast who’s looking for something well off the beaten path.
90 proof.
B+ / $55 [BUY IT NOW FROM CASKERS] [BUY IT NOW FROM TOTAL WINE]
Amass Dry Gin
$55
