Estonian Liviko a long tradition of different alcoholic beverages. It is best known for its flagship products Viru Valge and Vana Tallinn. However, the company follows trends and has made a strong entry also into the gin world. The company has Crafter’s trademark representing gins. In addition to the traditional London Dry, they also have a couple of more experimental versions, of which Flower Gin has already been introduced in this blog. Also new is Wild Forest Gin, which focuses on the aromas of the forest herbs. However, the original London Dry has been on the market for almost 10 years. A total of 23 different recipes were needed to develop it, before the ingredients were brought to the desired balance. In addition to juniper berries, the gin is made by using anise, cumin, fennel, mint, lemon peel and a few others. The local flavor is veronica, which is picked from the Estonian countryside. A 70 cl bottle of Crafter’s London Dry Gin costs around €20.

Juniper berry is the first to emerge in the smell, slightly floral aromas appear in the background. The taste is soft, sweet and well balanced. Not any special aroma kicks out, in the aftertaste coriander and juniper raise a little. Crafter’s has a light aroma, rather gentle, it’s definitely not any herbal bomb. The distillation process is done very well, gin can be nicely sipped neat, the alcohol doesn’t come out too strongly either. It also has enough kick for cocktails, the herbiness is restrained but still at a sufficient level, as is typical with London Dry gins. A basic good gin with nothing bad to say, but nothing particularly commendable either.

83/100