Japanese themed gins seem to be in vogue lately, as Akori Gin is the second one to grace this blog. My girlfriend and I found it quite by surprise in a local chain of wine and cava stores in Barcelona called Vinalium. Neither of us had heard about this gin previously, but we were surprised to know it’s produced by Destilerias Campeny, the same one that brought Tann’s Gin and Only Gin to the market. To say this spirit is new on the gin scene would be an understatement – it’s very new as it came out in the summer of 2015.
Campeny, a Catalan liquor company that also makes tequila and vodka among other things, was founded in 1970 by a man named Amadeo Campeny Pons. Since then, the company has gone from strength to strength and over the last few years they have not only started to distribute products nationally, but also broadened their horizons by exporting internationally to 15 countries – including Japan!
Akori Gin is a distinctive spirit. Made from a selection of Japanese inspired ingredients like dragon fruit, kumquat and ginger, giving it a more exotic and subtle citrus flavour besides the usual notes of juniper. At least that’s what the bottle says! Since Tann’s and Only have proved to be brilliant gins, I didn’t hesitate to give this young gin a try.
Akori Gin + Schweppes Tonic Water + Lemon + Lime
Being a Japanese/Asian themed gin, I thought I’d try a tonic water with similar ingredients and see how it tasted. I believed Schweppes Ginger and Cardamom tonic water would pair well with Akori’s ginger botanical, but unfortunately it didn’t quite work out that way.
At the beginning I found the gin and tonic not overly sweet and even the cardamom element seemed to taste good. I could also pick up the citrus notes clearly when I gave this mix a good nose. As I sampled it more and more, though, I couldn’t help but find many flaws. The gin and tonic tasted more citrusy, almost too much I thought, drowning out the remaining flavours a little. The bitterness went up a notch too far for my liking, particularly in the throat after swallowing. I also noticed it felt less fizzy (very unusual for a Schweppes tonic water) and that the gin had lost the smooth texture it usually possesses, becoming somewhat rougher on the palate. By now even the ginger element from the tonic water was starting to become too overwhelming.
I don’t think I’ve ever felt so happy to finish a G and T so quickly. I realise it wasn’t one of my best experiments, but it is all part of the trial-and-error method.
Akori Gin + Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic Water + Lemon + Lime
Yet another brilliant gin created by Destilerias Campeny. Kanpai!
Someone once said to me that it is in fact the tonic water, rather than the gin, that is the most important part of the cocktail. I think I even saw it advertised by Fever Tree some time back – if you’re going to make a cocktail with 75% tonic water, it’s vital you use a good quality one. My goodness, I couldn’t agree more in this case! Simply changing the tonic water made a massive impact on my previous recipe, and very much for the better!
With Fever Tree’s Mediterranean tonic water the gin became more balanced and went superbly well together. The sweetness from the tonic water was still there, but didn’t feel overwhelming and there was slight hint of bitterness at the end of each swig, which I didn’t mind. Even the gin’s smooth texture was preserved and went down beautifully without being rough on the palate. The citrus notes of Akori were amplified somewhat by the tonic water, as well as the lemon and lime, making it a very refreshing combination.
I have to say, I’ve sampled many affordable gins in the past, and for a gin priced under €25 a bottle, Campeny have certainly outdone themselves! The smooth and slightly velvety quality of Akori Gin coupled with its attractive price tag have made this one of the best gins to ever be reviewed in this blog!
Find out more about the products mentioned in this post below.
Gin Tonic Time 