Four Corner American Gin is a new terroir-focused spirit from master distiller Christian Krogstad, who is best known as one of the minds behind Aviation Gin and Westward Whiskey. He developed the latter venture in collaboration with Anna Mantheakis, distiller of Westward Whiskey, and the founders of the Irish Glendalough distillery.
True to its name, Four Corners is made with botanicals from all over the good old United States, including wild juniper from the Pacific Northwest, cranberries from Maine, cherry bark from the Southeast and yerba santa from the Mojave Desert. In a nice thematic twist, it was released on July 4th.
The nose is spicy, grainy and dry, with notes of bitter lemon, coriander and green cardamom. It’s silky on the palate with remarkably little “juniper burn” – I don’t usually drink gin neat, but I could see that being the case with Four Corners.
Taste-wise, it’s fresh up front and slightly grassy with lemon balm and chamomile, and brings menthol and lemon zest to the center. Towards the background it introduces angelica root and a touch of bitterness, although the bitter factor is far from overwhelming.
Overall, this is a fairly mild gin that nevertheless manages to impart strong, distinctive flavors. I realize I’ve barely mentioned the juniper – it’s definitely there and is actually a constant presence throughout the experience, but it’s toned down, so that it feels like background music pleasant but without distraction.
When used in a Dry Martini (I measured five parts gin to one part vermouth), it makes a refreshing and satisfying drink. The juniper, although sweet, is still present, accompanied by the other bright and clear botanicals of the gin, which in this iteration take on a slightly sweeter character.
If I could sum up Four Corners in four words, I’d describe it as clean, dry, tangy and sweet: a remarkably versatile gin that’s unlikely to offend gin skeptics while still exhibiting a unique character that gin lovers will definitely want. no doubt explore. further away.
★★★
Statistics:
—41% blood alcohol content
—$39.99
