Handcrafted by Victoria Distillers in British Colombia, Empress 1908 Gin is a contemporary style gin that is infused with butterfly pea blossoms. With the use of this particular tea the gin harnesses one of the hottest trends in cocktails over the last couple years. The idea is that when acid touches the blue butterfly tea, it turns pink. The result is a product that seeks to balance contemporary gin with color in a package to make cocktails live out loud. So does it pull it off?
Empress 1908 Gin
Sight: Obviously, it is a blue to violet hue. The color is strikingly close to some Creme de Violet.
Smell: The nose starts out perfumed with roses and violets, giving way to juniper and citrus peels. An earthy note laces through the background, fringing into asparagus and herbs. A slight spice lingers around the edge.
Sip: The start is smooth and a hint sweet. The palate dries out, picking up rose and floral notes, touches of earth, green herbs, and plenty of citrus ranging from lemon oil to grapefruit. Coriander and juniper come up from the depths to tie everything together and grab the reins.
Savor: Juniper, earthy green vegetables, and coriander linger on the finish.
Empress 1908 Gin is not overly aggressive or floral, but does deliver plenty of citrus and juniper with a floral and earthy backdrop. The contemporary style’s earthiness is clearly a result of the butterfly pea blossoms that provide the indigo color. As contemporary gin styles go, the spice of coriander and the citrus nearly even things up with the juniper. The net result is a balanced gin that’s got slightly unique bent.
In Cocktails
In a Martini Empress 1908 Gin shows up to play background. The earthiness comes through with plenty of grapefruit and juniper. The vermouth tangos across center stage giving it’s herbal character and bright wine notes a starring role that hangs out on stage. The biggest pops come from the citrus oils and vermouth vinous notes. The result is a good martini that doesn’t quite demonstrate exceptionalness. That said, we find that some of the floral and citrus notes come out better in other applications, where the complexity doesn’t necessarily play a duet, but part of an ensemble, like our Flowers Are Expensive.
In Review – Empress 1908 Gin
Empress 1908 Gin is beautiful to look at and has a nice flavor profile. The cost isn’t exactly on the low end though, coming in at close to $40. Butterfly Pea Blossom Tea is pretty, but it’s also earthy, and in this application, it doesn’t bring enough beyond color to make it worthwhile. The contemporary flavors don’t end up significantly more interesting than Aviation, which comes in at a significantly cheaper $25. If you absolutely must have a bottle for the color, feel free to pay the premium. Otherwise, consider buying your own Butterfly Pea Tea – like this one we’ve used in the past from Amazon.