If you like a smooth gin with a punchy ABV and exciting, unique flavours, BeauFort VS Overproof Smoked Gin is not to be missed! An award-winning gin that’s taken the industry by storm, this smoky spirit wowed the connoisseurs at Craft Gin Club and has been officially selected as the September Discovery Gin.
What exactly is a Discovery Gin? In addition to the Gin of the Month boxes Craft Gin Club sends its members, a panel of experts selects a gin to satisfy spirits connoisseurs looking for something out of the ordinary. This month, discover this deliciously smoky gin – perfect for sipping by crackling fires as the nights get longer.
September’s Discovery Gin
BeauFort VS Overproof Smoked Gin
Tasting Notes
On the nose, notes of oak smoke, juniper and pepper are sharpened by fresh citrus. On the palate, richly textured flavours of cream soda, brown sugar and ginger spice mingle with peppery smoke. To finish, flavours of juniper and refreshing pine linger on the palate.
Key Botanicals
Juniper, Coriander, Angelica, Orange, Lemon, Orris, Liquorice, Szechwan Pepper, Pink Pepper, Smoked Oak
57% ABV
Meet the Makers
When it comes to September’s Discovery Gin, there were two unique qualities to BeauFort VS Overproof Smoked Gin that captured the attention of Craft Gin Club’s panel of experts. First, is the fact that it’s a smoked gin – an unusual twist that imparts an intriguing complexity. It’s the kind of spirit gin lovers and whiskey aficionados alike will want to sip by a crackling fireplace.
The second thing that piqued the expert’s interest was the fact it is an overproof gin. Overproof is a term that refers to spirits with a high enough alcohol by volume (ABV) percentage that they can be lit on fire. It comes from a tradition in the 18th-century where sailors would mix a small portion of gunpowder with gin and set it alight to make sure the spirit they were buying wasn’t watered down – anything that burned quickly was considered overproof. At a whopping 57% ABV BeauFort VS Overproof Smoked Gin certainly would have fit the bill.
The man behind the gin, Leo Crabtree explains, “We needed this gin to be full flavoured, and that meant less dilution with water. It’s a statement gin and the overproof ABV reflects that. It was particularly apt that we settled for the ‘gunpowder proof’ ABV for our gin given its smoky character, and it’s an interesting challenge to get something so strong to be as smooth as possible.”
The first thing you notice when you open the striking statement bottle is the aroma of the gin – smoky, citrusy and intriguing. It makes sense that this potent spirit has such a compelling signature scent when you consider Leo’s history with perfumery.
When Leo turned his attention to crafting award-winning experimental British fragrances, little did he know that it would lead him to gin. His perfumes and colognes were made using unusual ingredients (their tagline is ‘in smoke we trust’), and it was this talent for thinking outside the box that allowed him to see the parallels between perfumery and gin distillation.
Leo explains, “When we began working on our gin in 2017, the initial intention was to create a fragrance around the botanicals found in gin. However, the more we experimented and learned within the world of gin, the more we became interested in flipping the idea on its head and making our own spirit.”
“It’s really interesting to me that the worlds of fragrance and spirit distillation are so intertwined – they’re extremely similar processes, to the extent that a lot of early fragrances were essentially bathtub gin.”
From the beginning, Leo wanted to make sure their gin reflected the same ideas behind their fragrances – everything they make is crafted with a renegade spirit and passion for experimentation.
Leo says, “We worked with Master Distiller Sion Edwards to create this recipe. It was designed to resonate with our fragrances, using bold ingredients to create something impactful yet complex and hopefully intriguing. Sion reviewed the fragrances our sister company has created and pulled out some key ingredients – liquorice, Szechuan pepper, citrus notes and of course, smoke.”
He continues, “Getting smoke into the gin was the biggest challenge. Rather than smoking the ingredients pre-distillation like you would with peated whiskey, our liquid is smoked post, giving us greater control over this crucial aspect of production.”
In the end, this unusual spirit was a gamble that paid off many times over. From its launch it caused a stir in the gin industry, and within a matter of months it had won Gold Outstanding at the prestigious IWSC awards.
“Winning the Gold Outstanding award was a real honour, placing us in the top eight contemporary gins in the world in 2020.”
How to Drink BeauFort VS Overproof Smoked Gin
BeauFort VS Gin & Tonic
Leo says, “The complexity of VS Gin is revealed when sipped neat or over ice, but it is equally well suited to mixing in contemporary cocktails, or with tonic or ginger ale.”
50ml BeauFort VS Overproof Smoked Gin
200ml tonic water
Slice of citrus fruit or sprig of herb, to garnish
Method
Combine all your ingredients in a copa glass, highball or tumbler. Stir gently and enjoy.
BeauFort VS Martini
Leo says, “The freezer is your friend. This gin is at its best served sub-zero in a Martini!”
50ml BeauFort VS Overproof Smoked Gin (from the freezer)
15ml vermouth
Olives, to garnish (optional)
Method
Stir in a mixing glass with ice and pour into a martini glass or a coupe. Garnish with olives if you so wish and serve.
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