We came back. We returned with the trunk of the car loaded with Gin.

We’re back to tell the stories, passions, flavors and botanicals that are inside what could become our next favorite ‘bottle‘.

We returned by starting over from a land that is rich and fertile in every way. We returned to Sicily. Land of Etna. Land of Volcano Gin. Obviously to tell the Story of a Gin that carries with it the smells, the atmosphere, the flavors and the botanicals of these areas, we can only take a step back until 2015, when the ‘usual‘ (it seems a joke now) group of friends sensed that the Juniper growing in the Etna areas would be perfect in distillation. Right intuition.

From concept to bottle. As they themselves are keen to let us know, the concept of Volcano comes ” conceived as a great wine. Careful is the choice of botanicals that one by one are blended while maintaining their own personality, intervening in the product in an exclusive way, making it as unique and precious as what carried it: the Etna “. Important words that introduce us to the use of local botanicals, the true strength of this Gin.

“Compared to the high-mountain juniper of northern Italy, on Etna the latter takes on a mineral vein that gives it a cleanliness and great freshness thanks to the volcanic soil in which it grows and from which it feeds. Hence the need to create a unique product that represents the many facets of a rich and bewitching territory.”

Smells and tastes. They are absolutely right. The minerality is immediately noticeable, perhaps at first ‘sniff’ is the only thing on the nose once uncorked. If you are a fan of citrusy gins this is not your cup of Tea. Here the mineralous (can you tell?) Etnean juniper is immediately noticeable, coming through the nose with light floral notes that are never too invasive. On pure tasting, on the other hand, still comes out lots of minerality accompanied by a bitter sweet taste given by the infusion of broom and fennel. Bitter orange and hazelnut are also present, giving it a more enveloping flavor if you have the patience and time to savor it slowly. Great sensations for both straight and blended drinking.

Distillation. We are talking about a Gin with aromaticity, acidity, floral and fruity character, freshness and roundness, balance and persistence on the palate. Done all very well thanks to the ‘usual’ method Cold Compaund which after distillation of the grains goes to cold infusion of the botanicals at different times that will be combined later. Behind Volcano’s recipe there is a lot of care and attempts at perfection. Produced in small batches . as we increasingly find – at the foot of Mount Etna (Santa venerina) in the ancient Sicilian distillery of Mastro Mariano.

Bottle and packaging. The bottle is beautiful. Really beautiful. The guys spared no expense and bottled Volcano. Lots of glass worked a bit vintage with hints of the Prohibition era with a stopper hand-designed by a Sicilian artisan and made from volcanic sand. The idea is to take home, in your hands a little piece of Etna and I must say that on a tactile level it is really so very special.

Very Gin Confidential. Very Food Confidential.

SOURCE