When you walk down the gin aisle of your favorite spirits purveyor, a few bottles stand out as unique – Bombay Sapphire’s iconic blue bottle, The Botanist’s clear bottle with all 22 botanicals appearing in embossed glass to name a couple – but perhaps no Gin sets itself apart as something beyond the norm more than Empress 1908. As you can see above, it’s blue – not blue glass, but blue Gin, made so by the use of butterfly peaflower petals as a botanical element. The petals do more than add color, though – they give a pleasant earthy note to the mix of juniper, tea, grapefruit peel, coriander, cinnamon, rose and ginger while also rounding out the texture. It makes for a beautiful component in cocktails, from a layered serve of G&T that changes color when stirred, to tiki drinks or even a riff on a French 75. And when I say beautiful, I mean in fragrance and flavor as well as to the eye. Don’t miss this! 95
Reviewed by Rich Cook
Brand – Empress
Spirit Type – Gin
Other Designation – 1908
Country of Origin – Canada
ABV – 42.5%
Bottle Size – 750ml
Price – $35
Score – 95
Date Reviewed – 9/6/2022