In my quest to try a gin distilled in each state of the USA (plus the District of Colombia), it is now easier to tell which states still evade me:

Alabama
Arizona
Connecticut
Florida
Hawaii
Maryland
Nebraska
New Jersey
North Dakota
South Dakota
Oklahoma
Rhode Island
Tennessee
Utah
Wyoming
Nevada

This weekend, I could finally tick the Silver State off my list. The gin that I’m looking at today comes from the Las Vegas Distillery, located in Henderson, just outside of Las Vegas.

I have already tried their excellent vodka, which is made from a blend of seven different grains (wheat, millet, rye, spelt, corn, oat, and malted barley), and so was understandably keen to try their gin, which is distilled from grain and bottled at 45.0% ABV.

THE TASTE

On its own
Nose: Quite dry, with chocolate and vanilla notes, as well as coriander, fennel and lemon verbena.
Taste: A smooth liquid, with clear juniper upfront, followed by a smoky middle, somewhat reminiscent of tequila or mezcal. Finally, there is a sweet confectionery lift, with a little dark chocolate cream.

Gin & Tonic
The tequila notes I have hinted to are well-pronounced when the gin is mixed with tonic, making this seem like a gin/tequila/tonic hybrid. There is still some dryness towards the end, along with a little citrus. Given the unusual flavour profile, lime seems to be the best choice for the garnish. All-in-all, this is a refreshing and original drink.

Martini
A fine, dry Martini with quite lot of spice, fennel, coriander, and liquorice. These notes are then followed by some smokiness towards the end, which is neatly combined with the dryness. Given that this is a little more savoury than most Martinis, I think it would work well with an olive garnish.

Negroni
A rather wild Negroni: smoky and dry, with plenty of spice and a hint of agave. Certainly a more contemporary take on the drink, but an excellent and flavourful one, nonetheless.

From the Freezer
Viscous and rather lovely; a smoky, almost salty character develops at low temperature, followed by juniper and a little dry citrus on the finish. Very intriguing and a treat to sip.

In Conclusion
This gin is very good and is one of the most original and engaging dry gins that I have tried for a while. It mixed well in all of the drinks mentioned above, but the Martini was my favourite. I’m very keen to find out more about how it is made.