Gray Whale Gin (750ml)

Other reviews... Gray Whale Gin is a Sonoma, California-made spirit designed to celebrate the California gray whale. Per the producer, Golden State Distillery, “the spirit takes the drinker on a gustatory journey up the Pacific coastline along the gray whales’ 12,000-mile migration pattern from Baja California through Mendocino (terminating in the Arctic).” The company donates 1% of annual sales to Oceana, a marine-centric conservation charity. Distilled from a base of corn, six California-grown botanicals are used to flavor the gin: juniper from Big Sur, kombu kelp from Mendocino, almonds from the Capay Valley, limes from Baja California, fir from Sonoma County, and mint from Santa Cruz. That’s a very unusual set of botanicals, so let’s see how it fares in the glass. On the nose, lime pops immediately — a gin & tonic sans the fizz. The juniper is restrained but present, though other aromas are elusive. The palate kicks off with a heavy earthiness — the kombu, perhaps, plus some of that juniper — before the lime returns. Sharp, perfumed, and edged with that pine needle/forest floor note, it’s not overly complex, but it’s the finish that feels most like something is missing. This could be a go-to gin for someone with a palate tuned to lime and evergreen notes, but here I miss the gentler citrus and layer of spices you get in a more classically designed gin. - drinkhacker.com

...Anise leads the mild aroma of this unusual gin made with “Californian botanicals,” including Baja limes, fir tree, sea kelp, mint and almonds. The palate is slick and slightly viscous, with a lemony, faintly saline note that winds into a brisk, cooling finish that suggests an ocean breeze. 90 points - wineenthusiast.com