When I saw the Bembel Gin for the first time, it was on Instagram. I do not remeber when exactly, but someone was not so happy about it. Primarily because it was not so much of a gin according to that reviewer. When I met Jorin in Hamburg at Nordstil 2018 I got a bit of an insight into the idea. So let's explore and understand this product!
Apple, apple, apple wine, errr gin
The name Bembel gin comes from a traditional earthenware jug used to serve apple wine in Hesse. That jug is called a "Bembel". And just like the the traditional Bembel is usually grey and with blue decoration, so is the Bembel gin.
And this is not the only link: The Bembelgin aims to bring the taste of apple (wine) to the world of gins. That was the idea behind this gin when it was created.
The 0,7 litre bottle comes at 43% ABV and is surprisingly bigger than the all so typical 0,5 litres.
Botanicals
The Bembel gin uses more than the following botanicals, but only these are public:
juniper
lemon peel
coriander seed
lavender
lime
Tasting
Nose
As you might have guessed it, the first thing one smells is an intense aroma of apples. If you have tried apple liqueurs before some do have a similar scent. Some vermouths have similar notes in the scent as well. The alcohol is not very present either. It's a smooth scent, sweet.
Palate
The sweetness of the nosing is not so present anymore when you taste the gin. The apple aromas are still full on though. It does not taste like a calvados though, but more like an apple juice with no sugar but alcohol in it. There is a certain spice and freshness to the whole taste profile as well, probably due to the citrus. Juniper is not very prominent. So if you are a classic gin lover, this one is probably not your type.
As Jorin explained they really wanted to go all in in terms of the apple taste. Not some half-hearted thing where one might know that there are apples in the product by reading the label. Well, they achieved the goal 100%. By the way: You get a stronger juniper taste when you hold your nose closed ;)
Aftertaste
The apple nose vanishes and you get a spice paired with some marzipan-like aftertaste. It is warm and sweet and lingers in your mouth for quite some time.
On ice
On ice the nose is not as strong any more but the marzipan-like taste gets a bit stronger. A little bitter and sweet.
Perfect serve
In a Gin & Tonic you could probably use any regular tonic and be happy with it. But I tried something different as well. A Negroni with some apple slices worked quite well. This creates a Negroni for those who are usually not tough enough to have a drink like this. It adds a fruity touch to it and the nose is reduced by the Campari. Try that with a Bembel gin as well. And I am sure there are more cocktails that would love this gin as well on their ingredients list.
Summary and GinGinGin rating
When served to a few people, especially as the Negroni, there were some who really loved it, and others who did not like the nose. Just as Jorin said, they would not compromise on what they wanted to create, even if some people might not like it that much.
Now, I have had some encounters with a sweet apple spirit back when I was 16. Let's just say that it was not so entertaining and not so much on the #drinkresponsibly side of things. The nose of the Bembel gin reminds me a lot of that stuff and makes it hard for me to properly judge this gin. The spirit itself is fine, the use in a Negroni is working as well, but personally I would not go for this gin in a gin and tonic. Because others rated this a lot higher I will give the Bembel gin a 3.75 for the product, personally I would rate it lower but my taste buds are stigmatised for this taste profile. If you get a chance to try it, do so, You might find it great like some of my friends.
The GinGinGin transparency declaration
This gin was a free sample by the producer in order for us to review the bottle. There are and were no obligations nor any edits of this content by the producers. Products tasted and reviewed by GinGinGin are all equally treated, paid for or free samples. If we like gins we buy them afterwards as well. If we do not like them you will read about it as well. When people ask if we would like to review a bottle, it is the first thing we mention to them that this does not guarantee a positive review. Get in touch to know more about reviews of gins. #Advertising / #Werbung
