Review: Orion Gin

Orion gin is a new gin expression from the Pegasus Distillerie in France. Per the brand; “Maxime Girardin, third generation wine-maker, founded the Pegasus Distillerie in 2021 in the village of Meursault, at the heart of Burgundy, world renowned for its wines. This new venture took up the challenge of producing innovative top-quality spirits reflecting the qualities of its terroir of origin.” A journey between the sky and the earth inspired the name Orion.

The distillery employs a “new generation” still, called an iStill, the invention of Dr. Edwin van Eijk. This still type can mash, ferment, and distill at once. The proponents of the iStill claim that it makes better tasting spirits. I can’t speak to that, but this innovative way to distill sounds interesting.

The botanicals for Orion gin are foraged or grown using organic methods. The recipe is based on an infusion of juniper, lemon, orange flower, angelica, and coriander. The bitter orange peel comes from a family orchard of citrus fruit terraced on the hills of coastal Menton, France. The recipe also includes thyme, verbena, orange mint, and monarda from the Swiss Alps. Monarda is a flowering plant in the mint family.

The packaging feels premium and special with a nod to the night sky with its cobalt blue glass.

The nose is clean and sweet on first impressions, and the alcohol takes a backseat to the sweetness and soft aromas of juniper. Citrus notes arrive within the first few sniffs.

The nose is a little deceiving, and Orion is hotter than expected on first sip, though it cools down quickly. The sweetness is present right away with orange peels arriving right after the sweet flavors. The more you sip this gin, the more the citrus takes center stage, with juicy tangerine front and center, losing the botanicals and putting the juniper in the back seat — though I would have liked to taste more of them. The sweetness is very surprising, soon bringing the mint flavor into sharper focus, only to be overtaken once more by the sweet tangerine. The texture is viscous but not cloying, and is improved with a few drops of water to create a bloom effect — or one ice cube.

If you’re a gin fan and enjoy gin neat, this is a journey you might enjoy. This expression has a nice profile and clean flavors. If you’re a fan of big botanical notes in your gin, Orion might leave you wanting.

86 proof

B / $45 / pegasus-distillerie.com

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