Glengarry Event Report

GIN TASTING

Event Venue	Glengarry Thorndon, 53 Hutt Rd, Thorndon
Event Date	6:00pm Thursday 10 May

"When I decided to do a Gin tasting it was for purely selfish reasons. I wanted a chance to try a line-up of Gin, so I could try a whole bunch without buying them all. The whole exercise didn't really work for me because now I want to buy at least four of the line-up that we tried. Thankfully I was not alone in my endeavour, I had the company of 31 other keen Gin sniffers and tasters. Gin makes a wonderful spirit to taste because it is so aromatic, the aroma in the room was superb and every Gin had something different to offer. One of the factors that resonated for me was how good the New Zealand Gins tasted, they were not by any means second cousins to the English and American Gins and were so individual you would not pick one over the other - they were just different. A special mention must go to Reid and Reid who use native botanicals and is made just over the hill in Martinborough. Chris Reid also took the time to relate to me the processes that they use in a very simple way that I could understand. The Scapegrace (old Rogue Society) was class in a bottle, quite a traditional style of Gin and one of the most popular gins on the night. The Source from Otago had its own individual style and the Rosehips they use shone through this is a Gin that you could happily sip over ice. From the overseas contingent, The Botanist stood out for me and for everyone else, the marked difference here is the 22 extra Botanicals used gathered from around Islay in Scotland. The other special mention must go to The Aviation from America, beautiful aromatics with hints of star anise and lavender. This tasting was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone so I will be doing more….watch this space." – Meredith Parkin