By
George Brozowski
I
was having dinner the other night
with a friend and we were discussing various liquors and wines
and occasions and locales as they related to their enjoyment
when she asked me if I had ever just let my hair down and
reveled in a complete day of drunken debauchery. Without having
to consider the question for even a moment I immediately replied,
"Oh yes, yes I have". She smiled, cocked her head
and just said, "Well"! And that started this trip
down memory lane.
I
explained that whenever I went down to Cancun or Cabo I always
managed at least one day, if not more, of drunken debauchery
per trip. One particular day I recalled started with a morning
Mimosa followed by a Bloody Mary and then straight Champagne
with breakfast. Lunch of course was of the three martini type
which eventually evolved into a happy hour of Long Island
Ice Teas with tasty tapas. Dinner brought out the wine and
after dinner a Cognac and Cuban cigar and later in the evening
a night cap of Champagne and then off to Never-Never Land.
Unfortunately,
that schedule, although seeming quite full, left a giant thirsty
gaping hole in the middle of the sun drenched afternoon. Sitting
poolside that particular day I ordered my usual Dos Equis
and a shot of Tequila. Apparently the new bartender misunderstood
the order and delivered just the beer. I asked about my shot
and promptly was presented with two shots. Not wanting to
appear ungrateful or be considered an ugly American I thanked
the waitress and consumed the hooch. The bartender shortly
must have realized his error and promptly sent out another
shot accompanied by two beers. Well this comedy of errors
continued well into the afternoon with everyone involved having
a good natured laugh at the bartender's expense and soon mine.
Between
the hot sun and the hooch I finally had to jump into the pool
to chill out whereupon I was immediately taken with the wonderfully
intoxicated idea that it would be fun to pretend to be a shark
and swim around and nibble at women's legs. Isn't it just
amazing how stupid drunken ideas always sound so brilliant
when you're shit faced? Well I raised my hand straight up
above my hand to simulate a shark fin and proceeded to swim
around like that and playfully attack numerous stray thighs.
Fortunately, most everyone else in the pool was close to my
condition and they had a good time and no one was arrested.
The
next morning I stumbled out to the pool to nurse my hangover
under the sun's therapeutic rays. As I walked out the wait
staff all lifted their hands over their heads in mock shark
fin salutes and greeted me; "Good morning Senor Tequila."
"How are you Mister Tequila?" I grinned sheepishly
and waved off their greetings and plopped my dead ass in a
lounge chair and closed my stinging eyes. The next thing I
hear is the clinging of glass next to my head. I managed to
pry open one eye and gazed upon a cute waitress bending close
to me and placing a beer and two shots of Tequila on the table.
As
she spots my one open blood shot eye she says; "Compliments
of the house Mister Tequila". She breaks into a big grin,
gives me a shark fin hand salute and turns and runs off and
so started another day of drunken debauchery.
By
the by, that afternoon three martini lunch I like to seasonally
adjust with vodka most of the time but alternatively with
gin during the summer. And so this segues into the reason
for this rant, Oxley Gin.
I
guess the first question that needs to be answered about Oxley
Gin is why does it cost about $50.00 per bottle?
Well, if nothing else, the bottle is certainly an indication
of potentially good things to come. It is a heavy clear bottle
sitting in what appears to be a tin cup and has a label chronicling
exactly which bottle you are drinking. They only produce 240
bottles a day and this one is number 19,316. The neck is wound
with leather string that holds a leather tag with the Oxley
name blind embossed into it.
Doing
a little digging I discovered that this Gin is cold distilled.
They take their 14 different botanicals and macerate them
in grain spirits. The macerated grain is hand spooned into
the kettle. Rather than heating the mixture, in the traditional
manner, a vacuum is created, which causes the alcohol to vaporize
at just -5°C. The vapor then condenses in a secondary
probe at -100°C, from which the liquid gin is hand collected
into one of only 240 bottles a day. Okay so I am beginning
to understand why this hooch might cost $50.00.
Let's
see what it tastes like. The nose is very subtle and quite
understated compared to most other gins however there is a
delicate nuance of juniper up front followed by bright citric
notes. On the palate the citrus comes forward followed then
by the Juniper with a light background of anise and other
flavors that I cannot distinguish individually but combine
into a delightful whole. The finish is civilized and lengthy
leaving a fresh taste in the mouth. This Gin definitely has
a lot going on for being so laid back.
When
I poured it over the rocks it awakened and opened up and the
nose became a bit more pronounced and the palate expanded
its flavor profile without becoming overpowering. This is
some really good sipping Gin. I believe I am beginning to
understand the benefits of the cold distillation process.
There are no rough edges, no bitterness, no roller coaster
ride through the mouth just a smooth even sojourn. I do believe
I understand why they charge what they charge for it and it
is certainly worth a taste or two. I will definitely ask for
Oxley Gin at my next three martini lunch!
Other
Related Links:
Oxley
Royal Honey
For
more Rants & Raves click
here.
http://www.oxleygin.com/vvvv