An elite gin, with strong classical notes, and some wonderful differences.
Review Dingle Original Gin
Made in: Dingle, County Kerry, Ireland, by Dingle Whiskey Distillery
Base: Grain
Method: Copper pot still, macerated and vapor distilled.
42.5% alcohol/85 proof
Botanicals: Juniper, angelica, coriander, rowen berry, hawthorn berry, bog myrtle, chervil, fuchsia, more.
Style: London Dry
This review is for bottle 00871
Dingle Original gin started as a bit of a fill in. It was a product made to fill the time it would take for the Dingle Whiskey Distillery’s whiskey to age to the point it could be sold. And what a fill in it was. This product wasn’t an afterthought and just slapped together. It was a gin made in a concerted effort via trial and error, research and even a bit of history. What they created was, and still is one of the best gins to come out of Ireland.
The base here is very much London dry. But there is a distinctly irish note to this gin with flavors local to the distillery as well as classic botanicals.
Tasting notes
If you are a gin sipper, you are in the right place. I’m not often wowed at first taste but Dingle is definitely a good sipping gin.
On the nose this gin has a lovely scent, warm and open with notes of fresh pine and juniper followed by undertones of mint, angelica and herbs.
Juniper leads strongly on the palate with strong floral notes, and a tinge I’d associate with orange marmalade, or orange blossom, which add a slightly ethereal sweetness, before you find the herbal notes on the back end, mint, menthol, angelica, coriander, pepper and a crisp bite of ginger or cinnamon at the very end.
The finish is thin and herbaceous, cooling and very smooth.
Mixability:
As a mixer this is a very versatile gin.
It is a nice martini gin, layered with complex flavors both classic and unexpected. The unique flavors come through clearly here. It’s not quite elite in depth, but it’s not far from it, it’s certainly a big leap beyond the classic bar martinis.
With tonic, a classic indian style tonic, the gin blossoms and opens up even more with hints of orange and mint. It’s unexpected and delicious.
In a more complex mixed drink I tended to like this gin a lot. It was spectacular in a fresh lime juice gimlet, very good in an Aviation, and Negroni (Perfect of course). I’m sure it won’t mix well with everything, but found it stood up, and stood out, in some of the more complex cocktails I tried it in. Maybe more so than any other gin I’ve tried in the last six months.
Overall
This is a true top shelf kind of gin. It’s one that does everything right - it’s got enough of a classic flavor profile that it’s instantly recognizable as gin, but different enough to stand out in a crowded marketplace. But plenty of companies make some uniquely flavored gin, but not all of them are really that good. This one is.
This is one of the better gins I’ve encountered in the last few years and deserves the accolades it has received over the years. I’ll certainly be buying it again.
Flavor profile:
spice 1/5
Herbal: 2/5
Juniper 4/5
Floral 2/5
Citrus 1/5
Heat 1/5
Rating (Sipping): 95 - This is a damn good sipping gin. While sipping is not for everyone, those who like a classic flavor, but with some added complexity, will certainly enjoy this.
Rating (Mixing) 91 - Any cocktail that requires a classic flavor profile will work well with this gin.
Overall rating: 93 - A truly elite gin that does it all.
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 thought I rated them very unfairly - BUT even then, whatever you get will always be my honest opinion.