6 Moments Sense Unlimited Gin

Six friends, one gin, and a name that counts them. Koen Buyse, who sings for the Belgian band Zornik, had already made the original 6 Moments with five others; Sense Unlimited is the follow-up, and the difference is deliberate - the rose petal that marked the first bottle is dialled back here, leaving more room for everything else. The bottling strength is 40% ABV.

Citrus · Spicy · Floral · Herbal

Everything else runs to seventeen botanicals, which is a lot to keep in order. Juniper, angelica and orris rootOrris rootIris rhizome dried for years, then ground. Powdery and violet-like, it mainly works as a fixative that binds and lengthens the other aromas.Glossary hold the classic dry frame. Three citrus fruits work in parallel: lemon for sharpness, sweet orange for roundness, bitter orange for the pithy edge that stops the pair turning soft. Lemongrass and lemon balm add a green, almost tea-like citrus that is quite separate from the peel. Then the spice cabinet - cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, clove, black pepper and ginger - with liquorice underneath tying it together.

In the glass it reads as spiced and fruity rather than herbal. Sweet orange and lemon lead the nose, bright and clean, with the rose sitting far enough back to perfume rather than dominate. The middle is where the spices land, warm and layered without any single one taking over, and cinnamon, liquorice and nutmeg give the finish a soft, rounded close that is unusual for a London DryLondon DryA style, not a place of origin: every flavour comes from distilling natural botanicals. After distillation only water and a trace of sugar may be added, with no flavouring or colouring.GlossarySee London Dry gins.

A tonic with a clean profile is what this needs - seventeen botanicals do not want an eighteenth. A large copaCopa glassA large stemmed balloon glass, popularised by the Spanish gin and tonic: it stays cold for longer and gathers the aromas above the drink.Glossary, plenty of ice, 5 cl of gin and 15 cl Thomas Henry Tonic Water, whose restrained bitterness lets the spices show. Garnish with a lemon zest and a rosemary sprig: the zest sharpens the citrus trio, the rosemary answers the warmer end. Serve it properly chilled.