Gießen Dry Gin

About this bottle

The journey began in the early hours after New Year's Eve 2016, when Yan-Tobias Ramb and Michael Karber came up with the idea of making their own gin for Gießen over a G&T. The city's GI car registration code wasn't far from that idea, so it found its way onto the label too. The second theme, chemistry, appears in the label's scene and the subscript letter N, written in a way that recalls a chemical compound. Are your chemistry lessons still fresh in your mind? N? Exactly: nitrogen. And it's a significant component of fertiliser. Fertiliser, in turn, was one of the discoveries and major achievements that the protagonist behind this gin, Mr von Liebig, could put on his CV.

Their own recipe

Once they'd developed a recipe, they looked for somewhere to produce it. Making it themselves wasn't an option: that would've required a very different investment from what they'd planned at the time. Fair enough, plenty of brands take that route. Their search for high quality eventually led them to Schlitz.

Botanicals in Gießen Dry Gin

One thing was clear when choosing the botanicals, Michael tells me: ‘We didn't want another apple-wine gin for the region. Apple, yes, but not like that. So we thought about what else we liked and approached it as if we were baking a cake.’

That quickly explains the botanicals in Gießen Dry Gin. Rhubarb, apple and vanilla are always winners for me. But on their own, they don't guarantee flavour in a gin. So there are classic botanicals too, bringing heat, fruitiness and dryness, and boosting the flavours. The gin comes at 46% ABV.

The flavour of Gießen Dry Gin

On the nose

Gießen Dry Gin greets the nose with a fairly mild impression of alcohol for 46% ABV. A fruity base is the first thing I notice. My first thought is a hint of fruit brandy. But there's more than just a pure fruit aroma. Definitely no apple-wine gin, either. You can detect juniper, but it's less dominant. The aroma also reminds me a little of plums.

Taste

The taste confirms that first fruity impression. The fruitiness is there immediately: nose and mouth in sync, you could say. Aroma and flavour begin close together. But that initial fruitiness isn't sugary-sweet; it's quite dry and crisp. Then comes a kick that immediately gives way to a new fruit sensation. There's slightly earthier fruit again, this time with cardamom. The coriander takes a back seat.

Finish and aftertaste

The finish and aftertaste are compact, and the gin doesn't burn. Nothing drags on. For a brief moment, the dryness turns to sweetness. A medium-length aftertaste is assured.

With ice

Ice and water simply make the flavour a little more intense. No dramatic changes here. If anything, it seems a little drier, which is unusual.

Gießen Dry Gin and tonic — the perfect serve

Michael recommends Double Dutch Indian Tonic. A 1724 Tonic Water works well too. But his most widely available ‘standard tonic’ recommendation is Thomas Henry Tonic Water. Apple is the recommended garnish as well: a slice straight into the drink.

Alternatively, the hibiscus flowers used among the botanicals are an option, though they'll gradually add more and more colour to the drink. If you drink slowly, you're guaranteed a little ‘pseudo-chemistry’ in the glass.

The GinGinGin tonic test will follow here shortly, once I've tasted the combinations.

Thoughts on Gießen Dry Gin

This gin created for Gießen is a lovely addition to the gin scene. If you're fond of apple and fruit, you could find a favourite here. Bembelgin doesn't do much for me; this is quite a different proposition, even if the apple base gives them a similar starting point. It's also hard to equate with Elephant Gin, which uses apple as a botanical too. They've experimented their way to something very much their own.

So if you're looking for a gin where juniper takes more of a back seat, but you don't want a liqueur-style fruit bomb either, give Gießen Dry Gin a try.

With Gießen Dry Gin, the makers haven't just created a local gin for the city. They've also brought Justus von Liebig, the chemist and inventor of chloroform and plant fertiliser with historic ties to Gießen, into the concept.