About

I enjoy Gin. I can tell the difference between a ‘Gin’ and something else. Taste is subjective… what I like you may not

WSET level 2 Spirits

Hi,

I am essentially merely a Gin punter (yes I like to capitalise the word “Gin” as I think it deserves it).
I make no apologies, this blog (if that is what it is), will probably not be particularly polished. Wordsmiths and grammar pedants may find this unsettling. I don’t intend to use it as a vehicle to ingratiate or involve myself in the distilling or hospitality industry. Think of it more like a stream of Gin consciousness, from someone that has a geekish interest in spirits, And wishes to impart what I learn to a wider audience.
I do have views on things, however, I am more than happy to gain understanding from others and gain in knowledge as I do so. So over time, you may find my views change… No problem, I’m not going to go back and alter what I have written in the past, it will serve as a reminder of my journey – so I dare say you may find conflicting statements, It wont be me being disingenuous, just me maturing and gaining in knowledge and understanding.

So why Gin?

I have always enjoyed most spirits (I still don’t get Whisky). My other passion is watching live rugby union. But watching live rugby does tend to involve drinking beer and this has over the years had quite an effect on my waistline. So much so that a few years ago I decided to stop drinking so much beer at matches (it was the norm to drink 6 pints+), and I swapped for drinking much less and drinking spirits. This then led to drinking spirits more at home and at pubs. It was at this time I developed a love for Gin. (BTW: my waist is much reduced but still too large)
I found a few Gins I really liked and then found a few more and then…. well this is where I find myself today Nov 2018 with over 90 gins in my collection. And as appears to be customary in the Gin world my collection became known by a ‘punny’ name – “The Ginasium” because it was where I was exercising my love of all things Gin. Currently my Ginasium takes up part of my dining room – nothing romantic, nothing purpose built, just a bar and a few shelves with a name above it.

Here’s an old picture, and a link to a short video (this is from 2018)

So why this site?

I suppose I wondered if anyone would be interested in my ramblings and Twitter (@theginasium) just does not allow for more detailed thoughts to be laid down and stay around for long enough for anyone to read them properly. Ultimately, I am doing this for me, but with a hope that it may be of interest to others. I also have a great admiration for Gin Distillers and want to assist in any small way I can by helping to promote good Gin. I have written down many ideas but never bothered to share them, for this reason there may be a big flourish in the first few months (Nov 2018 onwards) as I finally publish them.

My Gin Aspirations:

I see the tasting of Gin and finding new and better Gins an interesting and ultimately fulfilling challenge. Over the past few years my palette has been improving and I can now discern much more than I could 5 years ago within my Gins. But its not enough, I am always striving to find a better Gin. I really want to hone my taste buds and be able to more easily determine flavours in my Gins. I feel this is a long journey.

So what type of Gins do I like?

I have eclectic tastes and it really does depend on the mood. But I do like the taste of Juniper and I do like a creamy/oily mouth feel when I drink Gin neat (which is the norm for me). Probably easier to state that I am not keen on very floral Gins. But this is where I am flexible, I am willing to try any Gin and fully expect that I will find floral Gins that I will love in the future. It’s not just about me though – my wife loves gin too and her tastes are a little different to mine – so I seek out Gin’s for her too.

Do I only drink Gin?

No! – I pretty much like most alcoholic drinks and so may discuss these in good time. I enjoy experimenting with cocktails for me, my friends and my family.