Distillation Botanical Blending
Distillers must use botanicals – natural flavoring agents known as botanicals – as one of the primary components in making gin. Each one adds their own specific character, such as coriander seeds adding spicey or peppery notes; angelica root offering earthiness; citrus peels adding brightness. Distillers must carefully balance these various botanicals so as to find an optimal combination. This is why many opt for dried botanicals over fresh ones – as this allows more consistent measurements; especially when dealing with large batches of each.
Traditional distilling involves adding all botanicals simultaneously into a pot still and distilling them all at the same time, which creates a distinctive combination of flavours that cannot be duplicated through separate blending of botanicals. Unfortunately, however, this approach comes with certain drawbacks; small scale distilleries may struggle to get maximum efficiency out of their equipment when all 12 botanicals are processed simultaneously.
As botanical oils vaporise at different rates, citrus botanicals tend to give off oils first while wax residues release later; the distiller must regularly sample to understand when to collect and discard the less desirable components known as tails – this requires experience, training and careful attention from them as they create gin with desired flavours from each botanical in their recipe.
