Blood Monkey Irish Craft Gin 70cl

Product Information

Finally, Matt Chambers, co-founder of the Whisky for Everyone blog and the North London Whisky Club, chaired the final team, which included Anne Jones, drinks experience and events at Waitrose, and Angelo Sparvoli, head bartender at St James Bar in London. For the perfect serve, West Cork recommends you fill a large glass with fresh ice, pour 50ml of Garnish Island Gin, 150ml of Premium tonic and garnish with a slice of strawberry. John Wilson In 2018 I started to explore gin and realised that they all seemed to follow a similar path. The only differential was the provenance and the botanicals, but most had a similar taste profile. Coming into a growing market with a lot of brands already present, we wanted to be different – both with our brand and the flavours of our gin”. This competition is conducted in partnership with The Spirits Business and consists of a series of blind-tasting evaluations that cover one of the fastest-growing spirit categories in the world over the last 10 years.

A wave of Gold-standard gins followed. Of the 39 Gold medals awarded, two were given to Archie Rose Distilling Co for its Signature Dry Gin and Distiller’s Strength Gin. Irish gin brand Blood Monkey has secured distribution of its flagship expression in Canada via the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) and Cork Wine & Whiskeys. The Irish gin features a signature drill bit designBlood Monkey’s name and signature ‘drill bit’ design are nods to ‘bleeding the monkey’, the act carried out by sailors in the 17th century of drilling into the officer’s barrel to steal the liquor inside. Master distiller at Dingle Graham Coull says: "The unique botanicals found on the Dingle peninsula give a fabulously fresh, floral character that perfectly balances the traditional botanicals often seen in London dry gin and in particular juniper. For me, this combination provides a gin of unmatched quality. But to be honest, you really have to taste it for yourself."

Gin is typically made by distilling a neutral grain alcohol with juniper berries and a range of botanicals. The botanicals used are often “secret” to each gin maker, as the slightest shift in spice or florals can have a significant effect on the flavour of the gin, but the majority of British gins use juniper, coriander and angelica. An Dúlamán is a savoury gin in a world gone sweet, a definitive gin of the sea,” says Moira. “Unapologetically savoury, it is my love letter from the Donegal coast. We try to capture ‘draíocht na farraige’ – the magic of the sea – in our classic if off-beat London dry single-shot gin with 11 botanicals – six conventional and five seaweeds, 10 macerated in the still and only carrageen moss vapour infused through a flavour basket in the lyne arm. Our production is ruled by the moon and we only harvest the shyest of the seaweeds, pepper dulse (the truffle of the sea) on the lowest tides of a full moon.”

Syrups/Purees

Another double-Master win was collected by Atom Brands, which won the awards for Jaffa Cake Gin, found to be “fun, chocolatey, and moreish”, and Bathtub Gin Grapefruit & Rosemary, described as “being obviously grapefruit and rosemary, with a very ‘ginny’ palate”. Subtle tartness

A 27-strong set of Silver medals concluded the flight, including: Chapel Down Pinot Noir Gin, Distilled Gin Naud, Sir Edmond Gin, and Junimperium Sloe Gin. Rademon Estate Distillery won two Masters across Ultra-Premium and Contemporary while Lough Ree won one for its Cask-Aged Gin. Aiteal is distilled using fresh Irish juniper and Irish whey spirit, making it the only 100 per cent Irish gin. The word “aiteal” is the Irish for juniper. This is one of the few juniper-only gins produced worldwide.Blood Monkey Irish Gin features botanicals including citrus peel, lime leaves, rosemary and Szechuan pepper, offering a warming citrus spice to the spirit alongside caramel notes reminiscent of whiskey from its malt base. The ‘robust’ flavours make the gin stand up in a classic G&T. Blood Monkey Spice Storm is double distilled Collaborating with local sea foragers, land foragers, chefs and fishermen, Skellig Six18 selected a range of local botanicals that include birch sap, fresh Douglas fir needles, yarrow and a pinch of dillisk foraged from nearby Derrynane beach. The botanicals are distilled separately to gently extract the flavours and then blended prior to bottling. Our Gin & G (ginger) serve: Double shot of Blood Monkey, Fiery Ginger beer, garnished with slices of fresh ginger and lime wedges, all over ice. CONNACHT DISTILLERY