A new Perfect Partner for SW4 - The Gin of Champions?

This lazy weekend, I have experimenting with Thomas Henry drinks, a range of German mixer. Starting with their tonic, I tried it in a variety of guises, but the most enjoyable was clearly in a Gin & Tonic. My gin of choice was SW4, the gin of Champions. It's getting to the stage where I have tried nearly 50 different varieties of tonic water and I must say that, along with 1724, Thomas Henry is one of the "new kids on the block" that makes superb drinks.

I used the standard 40% ABV SW4 in a 2:1 (Tonic:Gin) ratio with Thomas Henry's Tonic Water. Here are my tasting notes:

There's an initial burst of freshness; the tonic brings out a lot of the citrus notes from the gin, but the juniper is still rather prevalent. This is a drink that is exceptionally refreshing, rather delicious and a great way to cool down on a hot evening. Unlike many tonics, Thomas Henry's does not overwhelm the drink, nor does it bring any unwelcome flavours or cloying textures. A great complement that enhances the gin, rather than covering it up.

For more information on Thomas Henry Mixers: http://www.thomas-henry.de/
For more information on SW4 Gin, check out their brand new website: http://sw4gin.com/

SW4 Champion Strength - Gin of Champions @ 47%

Yesterday saw Mr Hartley and me heading over to Graphic Bar to enjoy the joint first birthday of the Juniper Society and SummerFruitCup. The celebrations were fueled by SW4 Gin (check out their new website here) and Sip or Mix. SW4 was the first gin to sponsor the Juniper Society a year ago and has since become part of the family, not just at the Juniper Society, but here, over at the IAE.

There were various party games and one of these was a lucky dip; I was lucky enough to pick up  a bottle of the rare 47%ABV SW4. This had a very limited production run (just 15 bottles); one of these was siphoned down into miniatures, so there are just 14 left. My understanding is that the majority of these will be sold to a lucky few and each will be signed by Martin Price (Mr SW4) himself. It's the same botanical mix as SW4, but is bottled at 47%ABV rather than the usual 40%ABV.

THE TASTE

Own
Very soft and smooth, especially for 47%; juniper and citrus come across first, followed by some spice. When compared to the 47%, the 40% seems a lot more earthy and rooty. The 47% seems to have a stronger flavour profile and a great warming (but not burning) effect on my throat.

Gin & Tonic
Initial thoughts: juniper, light spice and fresh. Strength in both the juniper and citrus and you can tell this is a stronger gin & tonic, but, like Plymouth Navy Strength, the strength does not ruin the drink.** As the ice melts a little, the flavours open up and I'm now getting some angelica, too, and a touch of anise at the end. Tasty, with a long finish.

Martini (5:1) with Dolin Dry
Exceptionally clean and crisp, and very easy to drink. Works really well with Dolin vermouth and there are juniper, citrus and floral/perfume notes, although none of these are overpowering. The main feature, though, is how clear and clean it is; it would be difficult to tell it was 47%. Superb.

I'm fond of both the 40% and the 47% SW4, but I think that, generally, the 40% is more versatile for cocktail making and the 47% is better to be drunk on the rocks or in a Martini. The Martini it made was exceptional. I'm glad I got a chance to try 47% SW4.

* For more detail contact Jenny at hello@sipormix.com
** Some gins can pull the strength off, and some can't. I've had some gins that tasted like they were 50% and they were only 40% or 37.5% - the alcohol was that rough.

Gin Bombe—with a Liquid Gin Centre

The Institute for Alcoholic Experimentation proudly presents....

The SW4 Bombe

The Gin Bombe is essentially a tonic ice ball with a liquid gin centre. So how do you make such a... drink?

First you need some ice ball moulds (we got ours from G'Vine). You then carefully fill these with tonic water. When I did this I noticed that the fizz of the tonic meant that, when it froze, the inside of the ice ball was hollow. This got me thinking...

I bored a hole in the ice ball with a cork screw and then covered the rest of the ball in a thin layer of water. I returned it to the freezer to let it ice up (so that it could hold gin).

After a little while I then poured some SW4 from the refrigerator (gin at room temperature the ball would melt too quickly, from the freezer too slowly) into the bore-hole.

This is best drunk with a straw but it is interesting that as the drink warms up the flavours change and your straight gin becomes more and more like a gin & tonic. Presenting someone with a glass of the below should create some confusion and amusement.