The first gin made from peas - and environmentally friendly.
Review Nadar gin
Made in: Arbikie Highland Estates, Scotland
Base: Peas
Method: Copper Pot Still
43% alcohol/86 proof
Botanicals ???: Juniper, sweet orange, kaffir lime, coriander, angelica root, lemongrass, orris root,
Style: London Dry flavor profile Gin
This gin isn’t available in the US yet, but it’s coming. I came across my sample via a very talented mixologist who has been sampling some new gins and gifted me a small taste to take home to review and experiment with.
When I think of gin, I don’t first think climate positive, but the distillers at Arbikie Highland estate, apparently think of that, plus good taste. And to do so they decided to look at something different for a neutral spirit for their gin base. They figured out how to make that with estate grown peas, and created not just the first pea based gin, but also the first environmentally positive one. They claim it has a negative carbon footprint of 1.54kg of carbon dioxide per bottle they make.
And while I appreciate that, and think anything that helps the planet is a good thing, I won’t judge a gin by its environmental impact, but by how it tastes.
Tasting notes
The scent of the gin is fruit forward with hints of licorice, coriander, and a slightly piney aroma.
Like many gins it’s a bit harsh neat, but with a little ice and a minute or two to open up, it turned out to be a nice sipping gin.
The first sip was floral and with a strong fruit component on the palate, with a good backing of juniper, coriander, and the just a hint of the tang of lemongrass, and a wisp of sweetness.
This gin isn’t a hammer flavor-wise but slightly more refined and delicate. It’s still quite identifiable as following a classic London dry flavor profile.
Its light and crisp with a lingering hint of lemongrass and pepper.
Mixability:
It’s a very good gin with just ice. But how would it handle being a base in a cocktail? Sadly I didn’t have enough to make three cocktails, so I stuck to the classics.
It was clean, crisp, and quite traditional in a dry martini. The orange and kaffir lime added a light but pleasant fruitiness to the drink.
But it was in a gin and tonic that I thought it really stood out when mixed with Fever Tree Mediterranean tonic. The flavors complimented the tonic and created a G&T anyone would have been happy to drink.
Sadly at that point I ran out of the gin. It’s one I would have liked to taste in a gin fizz, Basil gin smash, or an Aviation cocktail.
Overall:
This is a gin that won’t just appeal to those with a worry about climate change. It stands up well on it’s own as a london dry style gin, but is just unique enough to stand out. I greatly look forward to tasting some more of Arbikie’s gins.
Flavor profile
spice 2/5
herbal: 2/5
Juniper 2/5
Floral 3/5
Citrus 3.5/5
Heat 2.5/5
Overall rating: 86. Carbon positive is good, and so is their gin.
What you need to know about reviews: All my reviews are my honest opinions based upon my own personal tasting. I am NOT a paid reviewer, and no compensation was given, or expected. I may from time to time choose to do a second review and amend my opinion of a product, should I feel like it, and find my review criteria has evolved, or that I’ve found it different at a later date. That said, as I’m unlikely to repurchase anything I thought was less than very good to excellent, it would be by chance or at the request of a distiller who though I rated them very unfairly - BUT even then, whatever you get will always be my honest opinion.