Tasting Notes: Knut Hansen (Ocean Dry & Colourful Cargo Subscriptions/November 2020)

Knut Hansen Gin scene created by Kat ‘Dead Leaves on the Dirty Ground’ Rose

This month saw the Nautilus leaving the seas around Britain, submerging and moving unseen down the River Elbe before breaking to the surface again and docking in Hamburg. For this voyage I’m not the most important mustachioed mariner on board. For the handsome gentleman that adorns this month’s gin is one Knut Hansen, a sailor whose nautical adventures and seafaring spirit provided the inspiration for what is a uniquely delicious concoction. As a fellow seadog I got into many a scrape with Hansen and can attest that he was a man worthy of this dedication.

Distillers Kasper and Martin started making Knut Hansen gin in 2019 using 14 botanicals mostly sourced from near their base in Hamburg and its profile is growing steadily, recently arriving over here.

First, lets take in this beautiful stoneware bottle - furnished with an illustration of the man, his piercing blue eyes drawing you in. It’s no secret that it’s often the bottle that sells craft gin and this is a great mix of style and material, so is the drink worthy of its vessel?

Well let’s first take in the aroma. It’s juniper forward but there’s also an indisputable sweetness on the nose.

Tasted neat the first thing on the palate is that sweetness but it’s not fruity - it’s more like caramel (but in the context of a dry gin). There are also notes of cucumber and there is herbaceous side to it. The finish for me was all about liquorice, earthy, warming and sweet. Although the finish is more traditional, the palate is really pushing the boundary of what a London dry gin tastes like and I can’t get enough of it. It has a distinct identity but it’s by no means busy.

With tonic, the sweetness subsides and the refreshing tones of apple and cucumber come to the fore. The flavour is as light as Knut’s eyes and it’s an especially versatile gin that mixes well with other flavours. I can be a bit of a purist with dry gin, tending to stick with Indian and Aromatic tonics but Knut Hansen plays well with others. In this month’s box, in addition to some different tonics, you’ll also find a can of Dalston’s sparkling rhubarb so you can make  Knut’s recommended Captain’s Rhubarb (Captain Hansen in this case rather than myself) which really brings the apple notes out. This month I’ve also made some dehydrated orange slices to go with it, but I’d also recommend cucumber as well. 

There are some gubbins included this month in the shape of that traditional Bonfire Night confection - Treacle Toffee, made in the Nautilus’s Galley by the Captain’s mother-in-law.

Next month, ‘tis the season to be merry, and I’ll be assisting you with that achievable aim with a Christmas-inspired choice. Enjoy your gin and let the other crew members know what you think on our Facebook page!

Your Loyal Captain