Hamburg is home to quite a few gins and it feels like being in the right place as the person running a gin blog. The Brombyrina Silkgin is a product created and invented in Hamburg, and distilled in Kail, combining botanicals from the silk route in a gin. But one thing after the other: Let's get this Brombyrina Silk gin review started.
The first thing you notice about the gin is that it comes in different dresses. Silk dresses to be precise. When you browse the gin's website / shop you can see the current selection of dresses. But what is the idea behind this?
It all began with the diaries of the founder of Port of silk, a long-established silk importer from Hamburg. In these diaries she wrote about her travels and the impressions she got. But not just the business side of it but all things you would think about: food, culture, spices etc. Now that got Stephanie Ränke excited and she took the idea of incorporating some of these ideas and flavours into a gin.
Luckily she was able to get this done with the help of a distillery in Kail, Germany, which produces other great gins like the Harrys Waldgin or the Pure Gin as well: Brennerei Hubertus Vallendar.
Together they worked out a gin which is created by distilling and infusing botanicals. The golden colour is the result of having saffron at work. You might know this from the Saffron Gin from France.
But it is not just the silky bottle cloth which carries little story details: the abstracted domestic silkmoth which decorates the bottle, the name which is an artificial word derived from the silkmoth's pheromone Bombykol, and the cap with the symbolised wheel of life all contribute to package the silk route impressions in this gin.
Botanicals in the Silkgin
The botanical list reads as follows:
juniper
mulberry
saffron
vanilla
lemon
ginger
peppermint
orange
Ceylon cinnamon
vietnam pepper
rose
Tasting the Brombyrina Gin
The second you open the bottle the aromas fill the room. It is not often that a gin has such a powerful aroma, capable of filling the room with a fragrance that vibrant. I spilled a few drops and wiped them of the table with my hands and the room was saturated immediately.
Nose
Bam! Summer and warmth. Saffron welcomes you and sweetness. A hint of spice, maybe the juniper, maybe the pepper. Vanilla and fruit make this a smooth and warm scent. Alcohol is barely present despite the 42 % ABV.
Palate
Brombyrina Silkgin tasted neat starts with a bit of a peppery touch and the saffron present. The juniper plays nicely with the vanilla and ginger as well. After the voluminous fragrant nose this is a perfect follow up: the richness of the nose with spice and some sweetness combined. Very strong in character and I guess not even a spice ginger could wipe this gin out entirely.
Aftertaste
The saffron lingers for a long time and a long aftertaste is guaranteed. Sweet and spicy notes are here for good is what I am thinking. Even after a sip of water you still have the saffron present. Amazing persistence.
On ice
Trying this one on ice is something I am almost a bit afraid of. Often the sweetness gets boosted when ice is being added to the mix. But here things remain similar, maybe the pepper gets a little boost, but not that noticeable.
Summary and GinGinGin rating
This gin is not your typical classic juniper forward addition to the collection. If you like the saffron gin, or can handle an Opihr Gin or the Bombay Sapphire East, it will be interesting for you to try this one. If you like rich taste experiences and a flowery, deep, rich flavour profile come over to the bar, this might be right up your alley.
Admittedly I am a sucker for these gins. Although I could not drink this gin all night, I can envision it in cocktails and in a nice G&T for sure. Well done.
Obviously you can check their website for distributors and places to try it but for now the bar at the oneAldwych serves it.
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
