As you might have guessed we’re riding the gin-renaissance wave like many of you and recently we were lucky enough to try two new expressions of Martin Miller’s Gin – 9 Moons Solera Reserve and 26 Moons Barrel Aged Gin. Both excellent editions to the range.
Take a tour with us as we look into both of these exciting liquids, First 9 Moons Solera Reserve…
The creation of 9 Moons Solera Reserve came into fruition thanks to a group of adventurous mixologists in New York, who had put Martin Miller’s Gin into mini barrels which ultimately produced stunning results.
After tasting their barrel-aged version, co-founder Andreas Versteegh was sceptical, but as a birthday treat for himself bought and filled a selection of oak barrels and stored them in Iceland. This proved to be the ideal cold, dry environment to slow the ageing process down significantly, providing subtle yet sublime enhancements to the gin.
The process of creating 9 Moons Solera Reserve was about finding the perfect flavour balance and at the same time respecting the original gin. After several years of experimentation, 2019 saw the Solera Reserve gin presented to the world.
The gin is rested for at least 9 months, or moons, in oak barrels that have been dried in the open, adding exceptional depth the gin.
9 Moons Solera Reserve shares the same botanicals as the original Martin Miller’s Gin, with citrus and juniper characteristics but is distinctly augmented, with deeper complexity alongside a wonderful mix of vanilla sweetness and hints of creaminess from the light oak which is apparent in the finish.
We found that the oak adds a slight vanilla overtone, along with rich beery sweetness that in turn enhances and amplifies the gin botanicals that lie behind the essential juniper. There are also some citrus notes that you can pick up and some light oak in the finishing.
Perfect Serve Suggestions:
Martinez
30 ml 9 Moons Solera Reserve | 30 ml Sweet Vermouth | 2.5 ml Maraschino Liqueur2 Dashes of Angostura Bitters
1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass
2. Add ice and stir until chilled
3. Strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass
4. Garnish with an orange peel
9 Moons on the Rocks – 50 ml of 9 Moons Solera Reserve
1. Pour into a rocks glass over a cube of ice
2. Sip and enjoy!
Now on to the very special and limited 26 Moons…
The major difference between 26 Moons and 9 Moons Solera Reserve is the sweet, charred vanilla. To create this most special of gins the Madeira cask was quietly monitored over the course of its initial resting, the preliminary drafts from the cask revealed an ethereal pink hue to the liquid but at this point, the cask had not yet impacted on the flavour. The brand founders closely monitored as the weeks and months progressed to ensure the once the exact point the liquid hit its ‘sweet spot’ it was removed – that sweet spot, 26 months or 26 moons.
Like 9 Moons Solera Reserve, 26 Moons shares the same DNA as Martin Miller’s Gin, with citrus and juniper characteristics but is distinctly enhanced with complex notes of unripe berries and delicate floral notes, which amplifies the usual citrus brightness of Martin Miller’s Gin.
Release of the product is set for 2020 in a select number of prestige on-trade accounts and only 960 bottles have been produced with around 480 bottles able to the public, so if you see it grab it!
Perfect Serve Suggestion, the only serve – on the Rocks.
