Aged Juniper Berries: The Distinct Flavor Unique to Mahon Gin
As one of the first gins made in the Mediterranean Mahon gin is known as an authentic gin with a distinctive flavor due to the dedicated craftsmanship for over 300 years. Its distinct flavor comes directly from its key ingredient juniper berries. To understand more about this unique and delicious flavor and how the gin is crafted to carefully highlight the berries, keep reading.
An homage to the local environment
Mahon gin is one of the only distilleries in the world that maintains their original craft distilling process. This means every step of the process is a tribute to the original methods from the 18th century and their distillers pay respect to the local environment by highlighting flavors found only there. While their stills are heated by wood gathered from the surrounding Menorcan forests, it’s the juniper berries from the Pyrenean Mountains in Catalonia that give incredible flavor to the spirit. When sampling Mahon gin, you’ll notice that the distinctive crisp spirit has a hint of the juniper berry’s essential oils, which is no accident.
Unique treatment of the berries
The distillers at Mahon don’t just use juniper berries as they are to craft a unique flavor profile. Their process for enhancing and extracting the taste profile of the berries is incredible. Once the berries are brought from the mountains, they are sea-salt air aged for two to three years in open crates at the distillery. This process allows the flavors to concentrate to deliver a smooth gin without bitterness.
As the berries age they shrivel and harden as many other berries would with the same treatment. The beauty of juniper berries is that this process concentrates their interesting aromatic profile and provides some citrus notes. With the exposure to open air and proximity to the sea, the salt particles from the water settle over time and enhance the berries flavor by adding slight saline notes. When it’s time to use the berries, they are hand-sorted so that only the highest quality berries make it into the mix.
What are juniper berries and what do they taste like?
Juniper berries are small clusters of berries that grow on juniper trees, a type of evergreen shrub. These small berries have a tart, pine-like flavor and are commonly used in small amounts as a spice or a flavoring agent in marinades, spice rubs, and in gins (with Mahon being unique for using aged juniper!). Most berries are deep blue, and they have an aroma that is often described as woody or spicy. Juniper berries are found across the globe, most prominently in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Mahon in the United States
Mahon Gin is imported to the United States by Glass Revolution Imports and is a favorite among spirits enthusiasts across the states. With natural ingredients free of additives, wild juniper berries, and a nearly 300-year-old traditional copper still, the flavors in Mahon are unlike any others you’ve come to expect in a traditional gin. To learn more about this amazing gin and find out where you can purchase a bottle near you, click here.