Nordic Spirits Lab is a R & D department project inside Altia Group. NSL explore what belongs to drinking culture and invent new ideas, products and ways to use different alcohols. They also explore how nordicness could be expressed on alcohol drinks. And maybe also to find new hit item to continuation of Absolut and Finlandia, which both are sold to global alcohol gigants.

Nordic Gin is gin-hybrid or herbs normally used on akvavits. It’s made on ten different herbs, most important are orange peel, juniper berries, angelica root, coriander seeds, caraway and dill. 50cl bottle bought at 13.99€ (SuperAlko).

Nose is quite light, it’s slightly herbal, dry, orange peel is maybe most recognizable. Taste however have more character, juniper and coriander are strongly featured. Dash of sugar makes the entirely very smooth, alcohol burn is mild. On aftertaste finally comes the akvavit herbs dill and caraway. Overall it’s good but rather basic gin, too juniper and coriander forward, with just a hint of other herbs. It’s great potential have lost the fight due to too conservative corporal giant owner. They have wanted to do something new, but on same time have been too afraid that people take fright of new herbs and so it will not suit for everyone. Nordic Gin is kind of compromise on gin and akvavit, just it’s too much gin forward to separate enough for tons of gins there are nowadays. Anyway it’s a good attempt thought.

83/100