Bareksten

Stig Bareksten looks like Santa Claus had enough of Christmas and decided to join a death metal band, but looks can be deceiving as in reality he is incredibly passionate about creating great quality gin.

Bareksten Gin is an attempt to fully evoke a Norwegian forest in liquid form. It uses an incredible 29 different botanicals in its make-up, if you've got five minutes, here's a few of them: juniper (obvs), coriander, blueberries, grains of paradise, fennel, rosehip, lime peel, rose flowers, cinnamon, caraway, cardamom, angelica, lemon peel, orange peel, orris, rhubarb, aniseed, nutmeg, red clover, lavender, chamomile, mint arnica flowers, elderflowers, lingonberries.

Of those 29, 19 are sourced locally. Interestingly the base spirit is also potato-based, which result in a subtly creamier mouthfeel than the likes of a grain-based spirit would.

The end result is one of the most evocative gins I've ever had. I've never been to a Norwegian forest, but this gin tastes exactly like how I would it imagine it would smell and feel while walking through one in the dark in winter. There's hints of pine and spruce tips, a freshness of cold winter air, a spiciness that evokes a warm fire, the earthiness of the ground. The bottle itself is dark and brooding, and at some points the gin is, before it evolves into the warm touch of a winter sunrise. This is amazing stuff, and should be tasted to be believed. Be so careful what mixer you add with this - something light and netural like Fever Tree Mediterranean works best here - and to be honest it's too complex to be using in cocktails. What a stunning spirit, inside and out!