Comments on: Fight Night!: Premium Gins – Vol. II

By: KD

KD — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:45:17 +0000

Late to the party, but I’m a huge fan of Leopold’s (since they were in Ann Arbor, MI before moving out West). I portion out shots of my remaining bottle of their American-style Pisco from several years ago with the care given to shards of the true cross. Someone bug Todd into making that again. I just managed to get a couple bottles of the more recent gin after a business trip to Denver, and I’m surprised to see the comments re: dill. What I’ve found dominates is the pomelo, but I didn’t realize it at first. At first I just knew the gin needed grapefruit, I couldn’t tell why…then I went and bought a pomelo and sliced it open. It smells exactly like gin and grapefruit juice.

By: cocktailnerd » Blog Archive » MxMo XXI: Fight Night!: Premium Gins - Vol. 3 (WC Division) - A blog of most things cocktail and alcohol related

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 19:18:50 +0000

[...] decided to follow the same review, tasting, and testing process I did in Vol. II, evaluating the gins based on ‘cupping’, a neat tasting, and a mixed drink. The mixed [...]

By: Gabriel

Gabriel — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 15:25:57 +0000

I’ll have to keep an eye out for the 07-09 batch as I’m making a trip into Denver this week to Divino and will pick it up if it’s stocked. It will be an interesting object lesson in how handcrafted spirits can change character and vary from batch to batch.

That being said, and by way of an update, I’ve come to appreciate Leopold’s more in the ’boutique’ or ‘premium’ class of gins after trying Rogue and Blackwood’s gins. Neither of them come close to satisfying the way Leopold’s does. Of course, that’s part of the next Fight Night: Gin post.

Thanks for visiting again fellas!

By: Todd Leopold

Todd Leopold — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 14:56:39 +0000

I’m pleased that you liked it. Batch 07-09 is on its way to Denver today.

There’s a nice little article in the November GQ Magazine on Handcrafted Gin that you all might like to read. Cocktailnerd scooped GQ, in that some of the suggestions I made in this thread appear in the article.

Cheers!

Todd Leopold

By: zombyboy

zombyboy — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 04:50:10 +0000

Goodness, Leopold’s is a nice gin.

I picked it up at a liquor store off of Bellevue in the Denver Tech Center today purely because I loved the bottle. I’d never heard of it, had no idea what it might taste like, and was a little worried given its price. No regrets.

Perhaps it comes down to a difference in batches, but mine (07-08) doesn’t have a dill smell or flavor to it. It’s sweet, smooth, and filled with citrus. The aroma is heavenly.

I’m not sure what it will mix well with, but that’s kind of irrelevant. It’s nearly perfect all on its own. I didn’t have any mixers, so I’ve been sipping it neat and I am in heaven.

Todd, if you’re still reading, this is a wonderful gin. I have a few gins in the house, but could well be my favorite. Unique, indeed.

By: The Pegu Blog

The Pegu Blog — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:04:01 +0000

[...] has a recipe that uses it. It looked tasty, but I had a mission. Gabriel has a pretty neat (har!) tasting roundup that sounded quite promising. Michael, at A Dash of Bitters, tried it out and decided the best way [...]

By: Todd Leopold

Todd Leopold — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 00:52:22 +0000

Hey, if you say that you taste dill, then you taste dill! If anyone tells you different, tell them to shut the hell up. I’m dead serious. I’m thrilled that you like it. To my taste, the fruit botanicals show up in the finish, mixed in with the fading flavor of Juniper. To me, the Juniper isn’t overwhelming. For an overwhelming juniper bite, I’d suggest Junipero from Anchor Steam.

You two (I gather you live in Denver) may enjoy going to a ‘distiller’s dinner’ at Opus restaurant in Oct. The Chef is preparing a multi-course tasting dinner, and he will not only pair each dish with one of my 7 (soon to be 11) spirits with a cocktail, he will cook each dish using the paired spirit in question.

Sound like a good night for a cab ride home! Shoot me an email, and I’ll give you details.

Cheers,

Todd

By: Gabriel

Gabriel — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 04:39:36 +0000

I agree about the Old Raj; a quality spirit that doesn’t live up to the price tag. In the Bombay G&T I had this evening during my delay at the airport I isolated a bit more of the character that so permeates Leopold’s and can assume that’s the character of juniper that comes out so strongly in it vs. most other gins. However, Leopold’s lacks that ‘pine tree’ effect that a lot of cheaper compound gins have.

So, in some ways, based on what Todd is saying, Leopold’s might not be a bad way to train your palate as to what an isolated juniper character tastes like in a gin. It’s overwhelming, butnot unpleasant and pure in his I guess.

By: Jo Jo Bean

Jo Jo Bean — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:42:46 +0000

Dude, Leopold taste like dill and I love it for that because I LOVE dill; however it happens- that is what it tastes like. I love Hendricks for the cucumber taste as well…both of these gins are so clean and crisp. Old Raj was…well plain by comparison.

By: Gabriel

Gabriel — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 21:13:27 +0000

Wow, thanks for all the great information, Todd! And don’t worry about things getting too nerdy around these parts, I’m most certainly going to give your eau de vie glass process a shake next time I taste test a gin or two. On another note, I’ll probably be getting in touch with you separately from this post on a related issue; my wife had a great idea I’d like to run by you.

And that being said, it’s nigh on 4:30 here, and I do believe I’m giving the Leopold’s gin a shake in a limeless G&T right…..about…now. Cheers!