Murre Gin – the gin made with carrots surprises with a unique taste and clean style
Always on the hunt for new unique gin experiences, with the long Easter weekend just around the corner the timing to taste Murre Gin seemed to be more than appropriate. Because ‘murre’ is the local Rhenish dialect for ‘Möhre’ which means carrot in German – a prominent food on German Easter menus.
Barbara and Ralf Gemmel are producing their gin in the small town of St. Augustin, not far from Bonn in western Germany. In the past, carrots were grown in the area where they thrived in the sandy soil. That’s how the idea making a gin with carrots was born, and it also gives the product its name.
By the way, using carrots as a botanical for gin might sound fairly unusual but according to the definition of gin, it’s totally in compliance. Remember, all gins are distilled as natural base spirit and then flavoured with botanicals. A botanical can be any plant-based substance thus including roots, flowers, berries and leaves as well as herbs and spices.
Carrots being a root vegetable therefore qualify very well as botanical, though to my knowledge currently the number of gins made with carrots is quite limited.
Handcrafted and made in small batches, Murre Gin is made with only seven botanicals – in addition to juniper and carrots it also features orange zest, peppermint, and cinnamon. It’s that concentration of only few botanicals that for me makes the gin intriguing and standing out in a time where it seems distillers are seeking to outdo each other with an ever-growing number of botanicals they use to make a gin.
Murre Gin Tasting Notes
Murre Gin is a mild, wonderfully aromatic, and juniper-oriented gin.
On the nose, notes of juniper dominate.
On the palate, it also starts with clear notes of juniper, quickly followed by fresh hints of orange and peppermint. Next comes a delicate pleasant sweetness with a subtle sharpness. Long finish that keeps the freshness and sweetness, while the taste of carrots is now becoming noticeable.
How to best enjoy Murre Gin
Murre Gin tastes nice at its own but also it is also a great gin for a refreshing gin tonic or to create a range of classic cocktails.
For me, this is a great gin to create cocktails flavoured with orange, picking up on the proven flavour combination. I definitely liked it in the classic Orange Blossom Cocktail and the Clementine & Thyme Cocktail.
Carrots and Tigers 