The era of SALTY gin is upon us and I'm so grateful. It started with kelp and now sea beans. I'm in love with sea beans as an ingredient and I love their crunch salty character, but when I found out these crazy Spaniards were dumping them into the gin I was giddy. But this stuff isn't some weird esoteric thing that only the most adventurous will appreciate. This is literally Spain's number one super premium gin. Now if you don't know yet, Spain has absolutely lost its collective mind for gin. They make us look way behind the curve on the gin thing. Gin Tonics, vermouth, Tapas, Salt, Oil - it's all part of the ethos and this guy fits right in. Let's taste! The nose is pungent and floral with deep spice elements. I think maybe the grape spirit base is heightening the floral and fruity aromas and that balances the herbal character nicely (lots of tea character as well). It's got lots of sweetness on the nose and definitely a pungent perfume-y character, but doesn't get to bogged down in the florals thanks to the sweet fruit and subtle herbal notes -sage, eucalyptus, lemon verbena. Behind that twinges maritime character -seaside grasses and ocean spray. On the palate it's well balanced with the strong floral character giving way to more of the spice and hints of salty and pine. It's got a great mouth feel thanks to the base of Albarino eau-de-vie. This is by no means a traditional dry gin, but also doesn't stray too far off. I think it would suite well a Hendrick's drinker as well as a Monkey 47 lover, although it's not the one to reach for when you want a linear juniper driven London Dry. It does do absolute wonders with Tonic and can be really appealing to play with in classic cocktails when you want to mix things up a bit. I'm not at all surprised that the Spanish love this gin so much. I'm right there with them.

I longed for this gin to be available in the United States for years after I first tasted it in Spain in 2017. It has finally arrived, albeit in relatively small quantities. Spain excels at elevating the humble G&T to magical heights. It is worth ordering one everywhere you go. It's no wonder they also make incredible gin. Nordes is very much a gin of place - the local grapes are used to make the base spirit, and a hearty array of local botanicals firmly places the flavor profile in Galicia. The nose is super bright and lifted - citrus-forward yet balanced by complex herbal notes from bay leaf and black tea. The whole thing is set off by just a touch of sea salt coming from beach-grown sea beans. While the flavors are all in a perfectly arranged bouquet, it is the supple texture from the grape spirit that really makes this gem shine. It's versatile for cocktailing and tastes phenomenal poured straight into a glass out of the freezer - a rare treat with just the right gin on a hot day.