Equipo Navazos La Bota 87 Gin, Bota NO

Bottled in 2018. 42.5% abv. Following on from La Bota 81, this is Navazos’ second Gin release. Distilled in 2014, it’s a London Dry Gin style, infused with a range of citrus-led botanicals (lemon peel and sweet and bitter orange peels) alongside a core trio of juniper, angelica and coriander. Nothing so exceptional there… But then the spirit was aged for almost five years in Jerez de la Frontera, in a single, old Sherry butt previously used for maturing Fino from Jerez.

Bottled at cask strength, this is simply a magnificent white spirit for sipping neat. The outcome is not only a wonderfully mellow symphony of floral aromas and sweet candied tangerine, green melon and daisy-like aromas and flavours, it also possesses a supple, delicate, textured and driven palate that hints at Manzanilla Pasada as much it does to Gin. This comes through on the iodine-noted finish. In short, forget what you know about Gin, or even cask-aged Gin. The balance is superb with both the sweeter notes and saline, savoury elements working to make it very difficult to stop nosing and sipping. As the cask was almost completely emptied for this edition of La Bota de Gin it’s also an exclusive.