Monkey 47 Distillers Cut Schwarzwald Dry Gin 375ml
Available stateside for the first time, Monkey 47 Distillers Cut adds one botanical to their proprietary mix, bringing the total to 48. With this addition they've upped the quaffability factor ten-fold. The distillers add nutmeg mace (the seed covering nutmeg) to a batch of traditional Monkey 47, distill all the botanicals again and then let the spirit rest in amphorae for three months and it's then cut with local spring water and bottled. The resulting spirit shows all the power and complexity of the traditional bottling with an added, elevated note of spice that helps bring some of the other herbal/earthy notes to the surface. A wonderful, limited expression that will make your martini a little spicier!
After making huge waves in the European cocktail scene, Monkey 47 "Schwarzwald Dry Gin" has finally made its long awaited debut stateside. Based off of an early 1950's recipe that was uncovered during the renovation of a country guesthouse in the heart of Germany's Black Forest, distillers Alexander Stein and Christoph Keller have given life to this lost spirit. Starting with a molasses based distillate, 47 different botanicals are macerated for 36 hours prior to being distilled on small copper Holstein still. The resulting spirit rests for three months in earthenware containers and is then cut to bottling strength (47% ABV) with soft water from the Black Forest. This truly unique German gin is already making its name known, with wine critic Robert Parker quoted as saying it's "the greatest gin I have ever tasted." We're not sure if that makes it 100 points, but it might be as close as one can get. Production is limited, with annual production being right around 2,500 bottles, grab yourself a bottle or two while you can.