Lately I’ve been interested in the development of regional Northwest gin styles—so interested that I investigated the topic as the cover story for our spirits-focused winter print issue. There are already a notable smattering of gins out there that classify themselves as “Washington” gin, “Portland Dry” gin, and in other ways that reference the places they come from.
Add to that list Big Bottom Distilling’s newly released small batch Oregon Gin. It’s notable for being the Hillsboro, Oregon-based distillery’s first spirit crafted in house—up until now Big Bottom’s whiskey and rum have been purchased from outside sources prior to blending, finishing and bottling. All that experience in balancing flavor has paid off in this complex 91-proof, 16-botanical distillate.
“We chose to distill gin as Big Bottom’s first distilled product because we thought it would allow us to create something uniquely Oregon,” owner and founder Ted Pappas says. The liquor in the bottle evidences just that. Its aroma is sweet and stars a floral bouquet of aromatics including unmistakable lavender. The palate is more herbal than spicy, offering an especially refreshing touch of mint, though there’s definitely some spice in the finish. On the whole, it’s a fantastic first proprietary release, and a harbinger of good things to come as Big Bottom offers more house-distilled products over the course of 2015.
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