A Dutch gin by way of America. With a recipe discovered by drinks historian Dr. David Wondrich in the early 19th century book 'The Practical Distiller', the New York Distilling Company is making what was once old, new again with their Chief Gowanus New-Netherland Gin.
The Chief Gowanus is made with a base of unaged, double-distilled rye whiskey, which the New York Distilling Company just happened to have lying around, as if they were in the process of making their own aged rye. With a good helping of juniper berries and Cluster hops, the kind which would have been used around the early 1800s, it goes through a third distillation in a traditional pot still and is then aged for three months, creating a smooth, robust genever for the new generation.
As with their previous releases, the New York Distilling Company have named the gin after a great New Yorker, this one being Chief Gowanus, the Native American chief of the Canarsees who was around when Brooklyn was still Dutch.
Spicy rye and Cluster hops come through, along with the juniper, but the cask maturation has does its job. There are no sharp edges here. Blueberries, Jelly Babies, pepper and anise develop.
There's a chalky minerality and slightly herbal graininess, subtle coriander and eucalyptus, reminiscent of oude genever style whilst remaining quite light and nimble.
An intriguing combination of sweet jenever with echoes of a hoppy beer.
We think that's a job well done NYDC and David Wondrich! Now, let's get mixing...
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This is a flavour I have never experienced before in a gin, but I love it. It's unique by anyone's standards. It's an unbelievable blend of juniper and bourbon cask which gives a dry, woody finish.
This is in the frame for my vote as one of the worst alcoholic drinks I have tasted. I never learn. I love to try different 'gins' but it would make sense to buy a shot in a bar first before spending forty odd quid on a bottle of this stuff. I bet the Chief himself would have had difficulty drinking this. Can't think of anything good to say about it. It's nasty.
We really like this as it is such a unique tasting gin. It's reminiscent of an old Wild West town with notes of cactus and warm wood. Very nice with either a premium tonic or a dry ginger ale which brings out the flavour of the cask.
I like rye, I like juniper-heavy gin, and when it comes to beer, I'm a degenerate hophead, so this seemed like a reasonable gamble. On the other hand, I'm new to both aged gin and jenever, and it may be that lovers of those styles will appreciate this in a way I couldn't. But I found it undrinkable. The ethanol heat is surprisingly strong for 44% and the hops curdle the flavour of any mixers you might try to soften it with. This is the first bottle of spirits I have ever paid for and then poured down the sink.
