Notes: In an effort to produce a more eco-friendly sustainable product, Death’s Door sources all their organic wheat from their home island. Unlike most gin producers, Death’s Door starts from scratch – processes and mashes the grain, ferments it, distills it in small batches using a Christian Carl hybrid pot and column still, and bottles it so that it ensures quality and consistency from the grain to the bottling.

They also use wildcrafted juniper berries and organic botanicals. Most of the other gins (in England and America) buy bulk ethanol, cheap spices and herbs and add water. This is a much more labor intensive process and uses much better (and organic) ingredients to make the best gin they possibly can.

Appearance: Sparkling clarity. On swirling, it leaves a light coat on the glass with a meniscus (edgeline) with tiny scallops, then forming long legs and some droplets.

First Impression: Wild juniper berries- very distinctive smell about the wild ones- more aromatic and delicate than the commercial varieties. Zesty coriander and wonderful aromatic and luscious fennel notes to it. Sometime less is more in a bouquet- by using only three botanicals (plus the flavors from the organic red wheat) you get very distinct quartet rather than a somewhat muddled orchestra of flavor.

Taste: Lovely, bright and distinctive, To be specific the wild juniper is very aromatic and somewhat citrusy, the coriander gives a very spicy dryness and the fennel provides a lot of slightly oily body and a lot of spice aroma. Very spicy, almost minty kind of tingle with the oils of all the spices wafting around in a lovely way. Finish is nicely spare and long.

Drinks: We tried the gin in martinis, gin and tonics and a few more. It is wonderful as a martini with a twist of lemon or an olive. Also works well in many other drinks as it has a very fresh and distinct profile.

Bottle: Heavy clear glass with heavy decanter style bottom. Beautiful clarity to glass which shows gin of nicely. Bottle contour is round at top then starts to go oval as you go down gining it a good feel and easy to grip. Nice balance and heft. Label is silk screened directly to bottle with raised lettering (makes bottle easier to grip) quite attractive – retro Victorian look and color scheme are a nice touch and catch the eye. Wood topped natural cork with a seal that designates the time and date of harvest (bottling?).

Final Thoughts: One of the few organic gins available on the market, and quite tasty, to boot. Very flavor forward – reminiscent of Old Raj in some ways but organic and less money – nice trio of attributes.

Website: http://www.deathsdoorspirits.com

Fast loading, nicely done website. Good amount of information on it on both their products, restaurant, and Washington Island, Wisconsin.