Maker: Journeyman, Three Oaks, Michigan, USA
Style: Dry gin made with bilberries (a European cousin to blueberries).
ABV: 45%
Michigan State Minimum: $35
Notes: MOSA certified organic. Made via maceration.
Appearance: Crystal clear.
Nose: Alcohol, juniper, vanilla bean, cocoa bean hulls, candied orange, fresh blueberries.
Palate: Sweet, full bodied, fruity.
Finish: Plum, orange hard candy, cherry juice.
Mixed: Fine with tonic and in a Tom Collins. Fruitiness took some getting used to but once I did I liked it. In snootier cocktails like martinis, perfect martinis, negronis and Princetons it did well and never got lost thanks to the titular bilberries.
Parting words: I went through a period of time when I had given up on “craft” gins because they all tasted the same. I’m glad I am over that, because this is a uniquely tasty gin. The reason is the bilberries, scientific name Vaccinium myrtillus (high bush blueberries are Vaccinium corymbosum). The taste is very similar to blueberries but maybe with a little cherry thrown in. Their influence makes this gin worth the relatively steep $35 price tag. Journeyman is doing some stuff. Bilberry Black Hearts is recommended.
