Perfection pursued
The Cape Town Gin and Spirits Company has, according to the three businessmen who launched the company, a vision to be the leading producer of small batch spirits in South Africa.
Having started the business in 2015, just four years ago, they have done very well. Their brand is well known throughout the country. They currently produce three styles of gin; Cape Town Classic Dry, Cape Town Rooibos Red Gin, Cape Town The Pink Lady Gin.
In recent years I have become a bit of a gin snob. I have sampled much of the countries boutique gins, conducted a number of gin tastings and written a variety of articles on gin.
I was thus very excited when we arranged to taste the Cape Town Gin and Spirits Company’s wares. So on a balmy Friday afternoon myself and a few other gin aficionados set about tasting, mixing and discussing the Cape Town gins.
Copper Distillery for Cape Town Gin
Everything about the Cape Town Gin speaks of perfection – the packaging, the bottles and the distilling process. It is no wonder that all three gins have won numerous awards.
I was very pleased to discover that copper still is used in the distillation process. Overall, copper is better for distilling spirits because the copper removes sulfides from distillate, which produces a better tasting and smelling final product.
Classic Dry Gin
The classic London style dry gins are my preference and I found this gin to be one of the best I have tasted. The juniper dominates both the nose and the palate but there are also hints of citrus and herbs.
I enjoyed the Classic Dry Gin neat and on the rocks. My favourite mix was a dash of Indian tonic, a bit of soda water and slice lemon. As the name says – classic!
The Pink Lady Gin
Personally I do not enjoy too many of the pink gins. However, I was in a minority as most of our tasting group rate this as their favourite of the day.
Cape Town Pink Lady Gin is named after the Mount Nelson Hotel in the heart of Cape Town, affectionately known as “The Pink Lady”.
One of our lady tasters described The Pink Lady Gin as, “A delightful gin. I love the floral aromas on the nose, with rose and Turkish delight on the palate.”
The Pink Lady is infused with hibiscus flowers and rose petals, and a hint of rose water.
A suggested mix would be soda water, (don’t kill the remarkable flavours with a tonic), lots of ice and pomegranates or water melon.
Rooibos Red Gin
I loved this gin and spent more time tasting this style than any of the others. I loved it neat and on the rocks and found both these drinking styles to be better than anything I mixed.
Most of the rest of our group raved about this gin too and much experimentation took place. Judging by the comments, it would seem that soda water, ice and any citrus fruit are a perfect compliment.
The rooibos is distinctive in the colour, nose and palate. This gin is infused with organic, handpicked Rooibos, and, as the packaging says, ‘the result is a unique and truly South African Gin, vibrantly red in colour with the distinctive taste of Rooibos.’
Gentlemen, you are not far off your ambition and I look forward to watching your progress and hope to sample anything new you happen to bottle.
To find out more about Cape Town Gin Company and their other offerings, visit www.capetowngincompany.com.
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