Saaremaa is the largest island in Estonia, but it is also a brand owned by the Finnish alcohol gigant Altia. Saaremaa Dry Gin came on the market a few years ago and has quickly become very popular. It’s a decent gin, simple and light. However, the main factor in its popularity is the low price and good availability. Saaremaa Rhu Gin is a rhubarb-flavored version of traditional dry gin. There are four different herbs and rhubarb flavors, which will come either from the rhubarb juice concentrate or from the essence. The pink color of the drink is clearly artificial. The base spirit comes from the Koskenkorva distillery from Finland. The gin is bottled in 37.5% ABV and a 50cl bottle costs about € 9 in the stores.

The aromas of juniper berry and coriander seeds are clearly felt. The aroma of rhubarb is also in the aroma and taste, but it is somehow artificial. The taste is sweet but also slightly sour. Dry Gin on neat is not very delicious, but this rhubarb version is easy and nice to sip or shoot. Especially in this cold winter time, when I don’t want to drink cold ice drinks. However, the artificial aroma of rhubarb starts to annoy quickly and I would rather not buy this bottle again. Due to its low price, it is a good product to try if you want a slightly different nuance for a typical gin tonic.

75/100