Tasting Notes: Boadicea Spiced & Boadicea Rosa (February Subscriptions)

Rosa and Spiced in their frankly adorable miniature form

Ahoy my wonderful crew!

So it’s February, the month of Valentine’s Day. Just because I’ve included some heart shaped biscuits, let’s not get carried away. We’re all stuck in this metal tube under the sea. We can no more have love in the air than we can a leak in the hull. Let’s keep it disciplined. No canoodling - just drinking, singing and swaying thank you very much.

So what is in the treasure chest that’s washed up on your shore this month? This is one of those months where I tell you a history lesson. 

Our story begins in the first century AD. At this point the indigenous people of what is now England, Wales and southern Scotland were the Britons. One of the significant Britonnic tribes, the Iceni, had territory covering most of East Anglia. In the early stages of the Roman conquest of Britain the Iceni, under King Prasutagus, allied themselves with the Romans. The arrangement was that they would be allowed independence but upon his death the Roman Emperor would, along with Prasutagus’s daughters, be co-heir to his kingdom. What could possibly go wrong with that arrangement? According to local sources, his wife, Boudicca, was tall, had waist-long tawny hair, a harsh voice and piercing glare.

After his death, centurions plundered his lands, had his widow and their daughters assaulted. In response Boudicca joined forces with a neighbouring tribe and led an uprising. Their first target was Colchester, a Roman colony that had mistreated the local Britons. They demolished the city and when a Roman squadron was sent to re-take it, all the men were killed. After that Boudicca took London. Archaeologists have since found a thick red layer of burnt debris within what was then the city’s boundaries which they have dated to when Boudicca’s forces burned it to the ground. Boudicca’s army is believed to have killed up to 80’000 people. Eventually the Roman forces prevailed and broke Boudicca’s rebellion, leading to the queen poisoning herself. 

Records of Boudicca’s story were rediscovered in the Elizabethan era but it was during the reign of Queen Victoria that her reputation grew and she became the symbol for female strength and vengeance. Not for nothing did the suffragettes of the early 20th century choose her as an icon. 

So that’s the story of Boudicca, so what of the gin itself? Wild Knight started as a vodka distillery using local barley as the base for it. After mastering the production of vodka they set out to use that to develop a unique tasting gin. Being based in Norfolk, choosing Boadicea (an alternative and more musical sounding name for Boudicca) as the figurehead for their gin was obvious. After all it was in that very area that the Iceni were fermenting barley themselves. They currently produce three gins, one of which Boadicea Rosa stands before you in a beautiful bottle emblazoned with the symbol of the Iceni, symbolising birth, death and rebirth.

To make their London Dry they distill using the traditional London Dry botanicals (including juniper, orris root and coriander) also adding some local ones (thyme and, and in a nod to the Iceni, nettle) before vapour infusing with cherry to produce Rosa and with cranberry and a mixture of spices to make Spiced, a fine winter gin.

Boadicea Rosa (sent to Colourful Cargo shipmates)

On the nose, for a pink gin this is very juniper forward and even though there’s a fruity sweetness, it’s subtle. On the palate it’s quite tart with the cherry making itself known before a peachy finish. This may be a sweet gin but it’s a very polite and natural sweetness.

This month I’ve included a variety of tonics to choose from including an aromatic tonic (the distillery’s recommended serve) and a lemonade. There’s no room for snobbiness on board the Nautilus, enjoy it how you want. It also goes rather well with Prosecco.

I’ve included juniper berries and romantic rose petals as garnish - the floral aroma will work wonders with the gin.

Boadicea Spiced (sent to Colourful Cargo shipmates)

A bottle of the Spiced gin with a rose, pictured by Kat O’ Nine Tails who herself is a maelstrom of hopelessly romantic and fiercely cynical.

On the nose, there’s juniper but there are equally dominant notes of cranberry and citrus, creating a bitterness and sweetness that works its way up the nostrils. On the palate, the winter spices appear before a warming ginger finish. 

In addition to plain tonics I’ve included aromatic fever-tree and ginger ale, both of which  compliment the gin’s spicy profile. This is also an ideal gin for a negroni. To garnish I’ve chosen juniper berries and licorice bark.

Also contained are some biscuits, home made once again in the galley by the Captain’s mother-in-law, a terrifying, muscular, tattooed giant who can shrivel a pirate’s nutsack with a single glance. 

Finally, I’ve included a mystery miniature as a special gift to celebrate our first Scuttlebutt Live Social. As you may be aware, the Scuttlebutt is our Facebook group where shipmates chat gin and life. This month I thought it would be fun for us to chat about this month’s gin and to all have a taste of the mystery miniature. I’d also love to find out your recommendations! If you can’t make it, follow us on Facebook, or join the Scuttlebutt group and I’ll reveal the contents of the miniature on there too.

And that brings this week’s scribblings to a close. Until next time, my handsome crew - look after yourselves. It’s difficult times and I feel a sense of paternalistic concern for you, as is the responsibility of a superior officer.

Sunken and drunken,

Your Loyal Captain