Santa Ana
A marvellous gin with a host of tropical botanicals, Santa Ana takes its name from the Santa Ana Cabaret in Manilla, which in its day was the largest in the world back in the roaring '20s. A base of classic botanicals such as juniper, coriander, orange, angelica, and orris root lay the foundations for an addition of four carefully selected botanicals from the Philippines. Ylang ylang and Alpina bring delicate floral fragrance to balance the fruity zest of calamansi and dalandan citrus. Housed in a suitably art deco inspired glass bottle, adorned with a splendid jungle scene, this is just the thing if you want to add an exotic twist to your favourite gin serves!
A host of elegant, fragrant florals lead to bold juniper and earthen spice, lifted by zesty notes of zingy citrus.
This gin is very heavy on the nose because the key top note is ylang ylang - which is, of course, used in perfumes. The result is that on first pouring it you get a very strong whiff of something which you know is familiar, but can't quite place. Unfortunately, by the time you are well into the drink, that incredibly pungent fragrance gets a bit overpowering. I've tried making it a very long G&T, and yet still that overwhelming scent of ylang ylang drowns out the other botanicals and makes for a drink you soon wish you hadn't poured. Maybe if you chill the living daylights out of it it's nice, but without the paralyzing effect of buckets of ice it's one I won't be buying again.
What a heady mix of floral and citrus botanicals! Leaves a very oily mouth feel with after notes of ylang ylang. Never had a gin quite like it!
