Ungava Gin

About this bottle

Botanicals in Ungava Gin

Ungava Gin announces its origins through local botanicals. Six ingredients are named, and they're said to be native to Canada's Ungava Bay.

It starts with a dry gin distilled from a grain spirit. The botanicals then macerate in this gin for a long five weeks. That's quite unusual: most gin producers steep their botanicals in alcohol for just a few hours or days. Such a long period naturally allows more intense extraction of aromas and other compounds. To achieve a consistent colour, they use a plant-based colouring called annatto, obtained from the reddish-yellow seeds of the annatto shrub, also known as food colouring E160b. It's also often used as an earthy, bitter spice.

The flavour of Ungava Gin

On the nose

Alongside juniper, Ungava Gin has an aroma that almost recalls heather. A little earthy, but lightly herbal too. The 43.1% ABV doesn't bite.

Taste

The gin starts slightly sweet, then moves into gently fruity and later spicier territory. Juniper is present, with the other botanicals bringing some herbal notes. That aroma I can only describe as heather is there again. The interplay between sweetness and gentle heat makes for an interesting gin flavour.

Finish and aftertaste

The lingering herbal aromas are interesting, staying on the palate for a while. You can also taste and feel sweetness and a certain warmth.

With ice

Ice often brings out sweetness in gin, but that's already there here. The meltwater brings out the spice instead: the pepper notes you could already sense. There's a faint aroma of needles too.

Ungava Gin and tonic — the perfect serve

Every gin and tonic will take on a yellow tint with this gin. But which tonic goes best with Ungava Gin?

Final thoughts on Ungava Gin

Its colour will often tempt people to buy it — or do the opposite. I always find such a bright colour in a gin a little questionable. Despite its few botanicals, this gin brings an intense range of aromas to the glass. Even with its distinctive character, I think it has broad appeal, particularly in a gin and tonic. In cocktails too, I see that individual flavour profile as an exciting quality. It did quite well in a Negroni test, for example.

With its bright yellow colour, Canada's Ungava Gin is certainly a bottle that'll stand out on many shelves. It's named after Ungava Bay in northern Canada, which is also given as the home of its botanicals. Look at pictures of the region during the ice-free season and one thing is clear: the gin's colours capture the landscape beautifully. Red and yellow often dominate the view in this harsh region.