Brecon? But that’s in Wales, right? Who ever heard of Welsh gin? Well quite. However, Brecon Special Reserve is perhaps the best gin I’ve tried recently and it deserves high praise.
Firstly, one must remark on the presentation – the bottle is bottom weighted, with an elegant tall stem and a cork stopper – this alone marks it out amongst it’s competitors for class and style. But let us delve deeper…
Handily, the botanicals are listed on the front of the bottle: Juniper from Macedonia, orange peel from Spain, Chinese cassia bark, Sri Lankan liquorice, Madagascan cinnamon, French angelica root, Russian coriander, Indian nutmeg, Spanish lemon peel and Italian orris root.
The aroma upon initial uncorking is quite heavily juniper laden – the botanicals are nothing out of the ordinary, so this tends to point towards Brecon Special Reserve being a fairly traditional gin and this is true to an extent. But when sipped neat and with tonic (Fever Tree again) the overwhelming sensation is that of smoothness. There is none of the coarseness you find with other gins, this is as smooth as a freshly planed plank of the finest oak you could lay your hands on. There is a hint of spice (to me, it’s more nutmeg than the others) but the smoothness lingers and it makes a perfect cocktail. It is fairly heavy on the juniper, so might not be to all tastes, yet never becomes harsh.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about this gin though is not the taste (nor presentation), but the price. I picked my bottle up for a mere £16 in a John Lewis Food Hall, which isn’t exactly known for it’s cut price merchandising or special offers. At such a price I can’t think of a better gin for your money; it beats many prominent brands at this price point and higher. If you’re looking for a traditional, yet smooth, quality gin then this is the one for you.
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