Tasting Notes for Kalevala Small Batch Gin
Aroma: Herbal and fruit aromas. Juniper predominates, with some citrus and menthol tones.
Taste: Undeniably juniper-forward throughout, with the pleasant, slightly floral sweetness of rosebud and raspberry leaf.
Finish: Long and spicy, with hints of ginger.
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Organic small batch gin from the North Karelian forest in Finland. When we say small batch, we mean it, there are only 3 people involved in the entire process! Oh, and a cat apparently.
The gin itself is named after the Finnish national epic called “the Kalevala” and is made using the finest organic wheat spirit base, to which juniper is added and steeped for 24 hours. Next, a few other ingredients are added to the liquid phase, as well as a number of fresh herbs (Mint, Rosebud, Raspberry lead, Rosemary) to the vapour tray. Bottled at a highly respectable 46.3% abv.
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Kalevala Distillery was founded by Moritz Wüstenberg, who first took an interest in distilling because of the history of his mother’s hometown, Kitee, in easternmost Finland: the town is renowned for having been a major bootlegging hub during the 1930s prohibition in Finland. He decided to name his gin after the Kalevala, the poetry epic that consists of Finnish folklore and mythology. “I used the Finnish national epic as a source of inspiration for Kalevala gin, because its story is based near here, in Finnish Karelia,” Wüstenberg explains.
Kalevala gin has a four-strong team, consisting of, in addition to Wüstenberg himself: Kirsi, in charge of bottling and labelling; Tatyana as head of production and product development; and Pantteri the cat, who has been assigned the title of head of happiness. In recent years, Finnish gin has gone through a bit of a boom. However, Kalevala is the only organic spirit made in Finland, and the gin is handmade from start to finish: even the water used in the distilling process comes from their own well. In addition to juniper, ingredients used in Kalevala gin include sea-buckthorn, blackcurrant, rose bud and Jerusalem artichoke. The main aim is to source as many ingredients as possible from the Karelia region. His gins have gained success and a following around the world, and have now finally arrived in Singapore.
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Producer Kalevala Distillery, Finland Style Finnish Small Batch Gin Volume 70cl ABV 46.3%