Quaffed the Raven

Co-founded by Anna and Calle, Stockholms Bränneri is the first craft distillery in Stockholm, located on the island of Södermalm in Sweden. Inspired by their Nordic heritage, the two have built a brand based on entirely organic, small scale, and hands-on production using their still Fåfängan. Named after a location close-by: “fåfänga” which can be translated to ‘vanity’ (though is also an old name for a gazebo, so take from that what you will!). Everything is done by hand, and having established themselves, they now make a range of products including aged and pink gins, aquavit, and aperitifs.

Design

The bottle is an antique brown glass chemist/apothecary style with a raw cork stopper and white, textured paper labels font and back display crisp black text. On the front, the name of the gin sits bold below the distillery logo. Beneath that is a box describing the ‘blend’ in this case ‘elderflower, heather & rosemary’, as well as the ABV, batch, and bottle number. On the back is a brief description of the distillery and product, followed by the usual information. Overall it’s about as simple as it gets, but for me it all works together beautifully. The label matches the style of the bottle, and brown glass is definitely a way to stand out. I really like it.

Nose

Right away there’s a lovely cool, calming freshness to the aroma, with a tangy pine leading the way. Angelica and coriander are evident, making it clear that this is a classic profile, but the soft floral tones of the elderflower are perfectly woven into the overall character. It’s a nice little journey through classic juniper and gin elements, to citrus and floral notes until finally, right towards the end, you’re left with hints of dry, green, grassy herbs. The latter tones are subtle, but evocative and I feel lead me back to the start, where I end in no doubt that this is a crisp, fresh, gin-lover’s gin.

Taste

The liquid is soft and clean, perhaps even a tiny bit thin, but is nonetheless packed with flavour. Right away there’s a huge hit of juniper, positively explosive, filling and lining the mouth where it slowly fades with a pleasant warmth and bitterness. Alongside comes a rich, dry lemon that’s wonderfully fresh though for me just about at my limit for bitterness. It really is remarkable how much flavour there is here though, and I feel the heather comes through well, along with hints of elderflower, both clouding the bold flavours just enough to make an impact. This is a big, big, classic gin.

Water really cuts through those hard-hitting flavours making the gin a little more palatable for me. I feel as though the gin opens up nicely now, allowing a degree of warmth and even sweetness to come through, bringing with it a touch of earth and a little more elderflower. It’s quite different, I think, moving from a sharp and somewhat overpowering flavour to a more rounded, sophisticated one. It’s a definite improvement for me, and a fairly substantial one too. The sweeter, more woody notes really help and the elderflower starts to shine through beautifully.

Finally, a G&T (3:1 Franklin & Sons Indian tonic with a dried lemon wheel to garnish). The result is, at first, a touch understated, but delicious nonetheless. This is a very crisp, clean, and classy G&T. It somehow just feels more sophisticated than so many others I’ve had recently and it gets better with every sip. The tonic works wonderfully, heightening the more fresh and fruity elements of the lemon in the gin, while those classic earthy, pine notes flow through smoothly. The flavours are a little short-lived overall, but in a way that gives the drink a fresher feel to it, and it definitely keeps me wanting more. This isn’t going to last long at all. A very good G&T for sure.

Overall

Stockholms Bränneri is a fantastic, classic gin with a couple of subtle surprises up its sleeve. It’s packed full of flavour and would make a great sipping gin for those who like theirs on the dry side. For the rest, it mixes wonderfully and I think would make a very versatile addition to anyone’s collection. Highly recommended.

Stockholms Bränneri is available online

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All reviews are of the author’s personal collection, bought and paid for by the author, unless otherwise stated.