Uncle Val’s Zested Gin Batch N° 003

Uncle Val's is the work of 3 Badge Beverage in Sonoma, California, where the Zested expression is bottled in small numbered batches at a confident 45%. The recipe steps away from a herb-led house style toward something more citrus-driven, leaning on bergamot orange alongside coriander and a touch of barley malt. That malt is the quiet trick here, softening the edges so the citrus reads as bright rather than sharp.

The nose opens on bergamot and fresh lemon peel with a peppery prickle behind it. On the palate it is sparkling and lively, intense citrus laced with coriander seed and that subtle cereal warmth, before a long finish turns spicy with clean white pepper. Pour it into a Tom Collins, or build a G&T over plenty of ice with a wide twist of lemon.