Monkey 47 has been producing some of the world’s finest gin for over a decade. While the brown medicinal looking bottle can be found on the shelves of many high-end bars throughout the United States, the brand’s experimental, limited edition Distiller’s Cut has not been available on this side of the Atlantic. That is until this year, when the tenth release in the series will finally make it stateside.
As Monkey 47 Founder Alex Stein says, “All sorts of different botanicals have historic routes in the distillation process, and I wanted to make something completely different for Monkey. That’s the beauty of the gin category, the ability to change the course of the taste by introducing a single ingredient. Distiller’s Cut represents our ongoing effort to test the limits of what’s possible in distilling botanicals into a complex sensory experience.”
In order to make this limited edition Gin, the Monkey 47 team goes out to find what they call the “Species Rara”–one ingredient they can add to their gin to give it that je ne sais quoi.
Once it is found, the Species Rara is added to a macerate that already has the other 47 botanicals in it. The ingredients are then distilled in a second extraction procedure and then mature in earthenware for three months. Toss in some local spring water and that’s pretty much how they make their Distiller’s Cut.
The Species Rara for Monkey 47’s tenth edition of their Distiller’s Cut is nutmeg mace. Mace is the seed covering of the nutmeg, and it is first removed then dried, pressed, and dried again. From there it is usually ground and used in various drinks and dishes across the globe.
“I’m constantly inspired by my travels and particularly fell in love with the aroma and look of Nutmeg Mace while traveling to the United Arab Emirates,” said Stein.
The ingredient adds a bit of warm nutmeg to Monkey 47’s usual aromas of juniper, lime, and fresh vegetables. On the palate, Juniper and baking spices mix together to create something both warm and fresh.
According to the distillery, it is a piquant, yet elegant dry gin with delicate, subtly resinous top notes that lend it a unique complexity and unparalleled density.
Monkey 47 Distiller’s Cut 2019 can be found in select stores for around $75.
