Review: Pilot House Distilling Painted Lady Gin

Astoria, Oregon’s Pilot House Distilling makes a huge range of spirits, but we’ve never reviewed any of them until now, with a look at Painted Lady Gin, a New American style gin that’s crafted with botanicals that include juniper, lavender, rose hips, chamomile, orris root, coriander, lemon zest, peppercorns, and cucumber.

That botanical bill may raise a few eyebrows, and sure enough, from the bottle the gin pours as a full-on flower bomb, filling the immediate area with a strong scent of roses and lavender. For fans of ultra-perfumed gins, this will hit the spot before you ever take a sip. But sip we must, and upon doing so, we find quite a bit more of the same, alongside a bit of nuance. Again, it’s strong with roses and lavender, though juniper is more impactful on the palate, paired with a rather pungent camphor quality, veering toward eucalyptus at times. Fruit develops only as the finish starts to approach, with notes of lemon and peach in the mix. The finish eventually returns to a more floral — but surprisingly savory — tone, ruddy earthiness mixed with notes of rosemary and sage. It’s all a bit much for a martini, but fans of a more aggressive mixed drink may find this painted lady’s makeup more appealing.

90 proof.

B / $x / pilothousedistilling.com

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