Gin des Géants

Clove is one of the most forceful spices a distiller can reach for, strong enough that a small excess will take over a whole recipe, and it is named here as one of three headline botanicals. Distillerie de Biercée sets it beside juniper and hops in Belgium, adds hyssop, angelica root, citrus and malt, and took a gold at the 2023 World Gin Awards for the result. Bottled at 40%.

Citrus · Spicy · Floral · Herbal

Managing clove is the difficult part and the recipe manages it by giving it company rather than space. Its warm, almost medicinal sweetness comes through clearly in the aroma alongside the floral lift, but it never dominates, because hops pull in the opposite direction with a green, faintly bitter freshness that keeps the spice from spreading. Juniper holds the line between them.

On the palate the malt is the surprise, giving a bready richness underneath that most gins do not have and that softens the clove considerably. Citrus brightens the top, hyssop runs a sharp minty-bitter thread through the middle, and angelica root supplies the dry earth at the base. Everything reads in order rather than all together, and the finish is persistent, which is what a spice this strong will always guarantee.

Malt and clove both suffer under a sweetened mixer, so keep whatever you pour neutral. Neutral tonic in a well-filled glass is the safe route, and the producer is content to leave the choice open. Orange peel suits the clove better than lemon would, being rounder and warmer. It also stands up neat, where the malt is clearest. A gin built on brewing materials in a country famous for beer is less of a gimmick than it sounds. Gold at a competition rarely tells you much; winning one with clove on the label tells you the balance held. It closes spiced, malty and long.