Introducing: Ironton Ponderosa Gin
Gin is a product through which distillers can truly showcase their creativity. In addition to the standard ingredients of juniper berries and coriander seed, our Ponderosa Gin features a slew of other herbs and spices that include cassia bark (cinnamon), sage, rosemary, and ponderosa pine needles harvested from our own backyard.
The flavors of these botanicals are either extracted through maceration or vapor infusion.
We begin with a neutral spirit that’s distilled from grain and cut to 120 proof. The ingredients used for maceration are placed in a mesh bag, whacked with a mallet to make the aromatic oils more easily accessible, and submerged in the spirit like a tea.
The maceration process lasts about 3 days total. This solution is then placed in the pot of our botanical still Tamilla, our beloved botanical still, along with the macerated botanicals. The remaining herbs that are fresh and contain more delicate flavors are placed in the gin basket, which is a section on top of the still’s column that provides a space for the alcoholic vapors to gently extract the essential oils from those botanicals.
As the distillation takes place, the distiller has another opportunity to leave his or her fingerprint on the product by way of making cuts. Due to their different boiling points, the different aromas and flavors from the botanical mixture come off the still at different times. The distiller will monitor this progression throughout the distillation, and based on the appearance of some flavors and disappearance of others he or she will decide when to end the run. Once the distillation is complete, the spirit is then cut to 86 proof and bottled up.
Our Ponderosa Gin features an abundance of fresh and herbal flavors that will make you think you’re hiking through a pine forest in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
Up front you’ll notice a blend of juniper, sage, ponderosa pine, and cinnamon on the nose. The cinnamon and pine carry through to the palate and evolve into more earthy notes that are grassy, woody, and somewhat peppery.
You’re left with a crisp and invigorating finish that makes you want to grab your backpack and find the nearest trail! This gin was voted ‘America’s Favorite Gin’ in American Distilling Institute’s 2022 Spirit Competition with a Double Gold, Best of Class, and Best of Gin Category.
