Our first Gin for 2015 is something special from across the Atlantic. St. George Terroir. The Wino’s among you will realise the word Terroir relates to soil region which affects the grape (There is more to this name than what I have just said but I am not copying Wikipedia out word for word). In this case the gin was already called St. George and there is a dog called a St. George terrier so “lets make a St George Terroir” Maybe…. 
St. George Spirits was established by Jörg Rupf in 1982 after arriving in America from the Black Forest, Germany. It has taken them up to 30 years to grow into the distillery they are today from a one man to an ex Naval hangar, producing three gins along with other spirits.
St. George Terroir uses 3 botanicals inspired by the wild Golden State that is California, along with others that help bring them to life in what the team at St George’s Spirits call an “Ode to the Golden State”. The lead notes are all foresty of Douglas fir, bay laurel and sage, along with coriander seeds and juniper.
I have been trying to working out how the gin is made as they say “We distil the fir and sage individually on a 250-liter still to minimize the impact of seasonal variation. The fresh bay laurel leaves and juniper berries are vapour infused in a botanicals basket. The other botanicals go right in the pot of our 1,500-liter still”. No idea about the rest of the process though.
Terroir is unique, it really doesn’t taste like any other gin I have tried, you really do get the feeling you are standing in an American forest. Sadly in my head I’m in Yellowstone Park drinking and avoiding Yogi and not in California (I’ve never been to either).
THE GLASGOW GIN CLUB 