Xoriguer Mahon Gin

A cult gin from Mahon in Menorca, Xoriguer (pronounced sho-ri-gair) is one of the only gins in the world alongside Plymouth to have a geographical indication, Gin de Menorca. It was first made for the British Sailors who were stationed on the Island between 1708 and 1802, who were hankering for some gin.

Xoriguer is still made in the same way, according to the 18th century recipe, commanding a devoted following of happy travellers. Gin Xoriguer is the result of a distillation in traditional copper stills, using high quality wine alcohol (eau-de-vie) and carefully selected juniper berries, which come from the neighbouring Mediterranean mountains, together with aromatic herbs. These herbs are the guarded secret of Xoriguer gins original bouquet. Only the Pons family know the identity and proportion of this valuable ingredient, which is added behind closed doors and without witnesses, at the start of each distilling. The respect for tradition is such that the fuel still used today in the distillation is wood.

Style

Dry Gin

Key Botanicals

Undeclared botanicals but at a guess; Juniper, coriander seed, cumin seed, aniseed, bay leaf, lavender.

Lots of juniper on the nose, with some camphorous and herbaceous notes suggesting pine resin and rich, oily juniper berries as well. The nose is largely one note by my assessment, though it does an excellent job at capturing a really rich portrait of that one note. Heady and juniper-forward.

The palate is thick and luscious, with copious amounts of pine and juniper again. Spruce, an some faint intimations of lemon zest behind the scenes, with sage, juniper needle and pine. The finish is long with juniper. It’s dry with conifer in the rain sort of notes, with a pleasant ensuring warmth.

Perfect Serve

Fantastic served with lemonade! Premium tonic garnished with fresh lemon.

Nolan - Text from the Spotlight on the Spirits of Spain Blog

Where better to start a whirlwind trip around the spirits of Spain than with a gin specifically designed for British palates. This is Xoriguer, pronounced Sho-RI-gair, hailing from the island of Menorca in the Mediterranean Sea off Spain’s West coast, halfway across to Sardinia.

Rum is the spirit that is usually associated with the British Royal Navy but this was a drink for the sailors, officers drank brandy from either Spain or France, (depending on who we were at war with at the time), or they drank gin!

The Royal Navy had a presence on the island of Menorca from 1708 to 1802. Instead of relying on imports from England which could easily be delayed by poor weather or war. (Do a search for the number of conflicts between Britain and Spain during this time period, there seems to be more war than peace!) With all the instability, it just made sense to make gin on Menorca to slake the thirst of the heavily armed sailors, absolute no brainer really!

Offered in its striking bottle, Xoriguer these days is a cult gin. It is still made in the exact same way as it was in the 18th century and to the exact same recipe. It is distilled in old fashioned pot stills using a closely guarded recipe of botanicals which has never been disclosed but is thought to contain juniper berries, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, aniseeds, bay leaves and lavender flowers.

The result is a refreshingly old-fashioned gin that is surprisingly punchy and oily on palate. The juniper brings waves of pine and spruce with a refreshing citrus burst. Perfect for kicking back with a sundowner, simply add a splash of tonic or even dare I say it, lemonade.