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Food and Drink

30th Oct 2018

GINFLUENCED: Bonac 24 Created By A Father-Son Duo Is Fresh And Fancy

Éadaoin Fitzmaurice

There’s a serious chill in the air, winter is coming.

I’m not going to lie though, I’m kind of happy about it. Yes, the mornings are darker and that makes it near impossible to get out of bed but the evenings are darker too, which means snuggling on the couch and having some down time after the crazy summer.

Tuesdays are vile. The weekend is so far away and you’re still pissed off about the fact that it was Monday yesterday.

I’ve decided to make my Tuesday’s better – by trying a new G&T each week.

So I urge you to join me on this quest, we can all try something new and fun together – all from the comfort of our own couches and cosy dressing gowns.

(No it’s not called a house coat!)

This week for Ginfluenced I got my hands on a dainty little bottle of Bonac 24.

I’ve been meaning to try this gin for quite some time but being the Ginfluencer I am, other ones had gotten in the way up until now.

Well, there’s no better time like the present and this is my present to you, enjoy!

Hailing from the Garden Of Ireland myself, I love seeing products coming from my home county.

Bonac 24 was created by young entrepreneur, Gavin Clifford and his father Michael in Newtownmountkennedy. The pair tried many different blends and finally settled on their 24th recipe – hence the name. The name is also inspired by the summers that Gavin spent working in The Hamptons, locals refer to this area as Bonac.

The Bottle:

Bonac 24 comes in a very distinctive looking blue bottle.

The label shows a bird in flight made up of all the botanicals included in the spirit.The bird symbolises being on the wing and its quest to discover what’s new.

The typography on the front is really eye-catching and pretty stunning.

Probably one of my favourite bottles I’ve seen in quite some time.

Background:

Bonac 24 Irish Gin is the first product from a Wicklow based distillery established by father and son duo. The project came about after many years of discussion between the two on opening a hands on family business.

The idea came for the distillery came from Gavin’s passions and his time spent working in the drinks industry in New York. After studying in Ireland, he emigrated to the US where he saw the opportunity to turn a passion of his into a business.

When he returned to Ireland, himself and his father did a lot of research and visited to many craft distilleries in Ireland and the UK. They began the process of opening the distillery by commissioning John Dore & Co (one of the oldest still manufacturers in the world) to design the still.

They created a boutique distillery where the finest ingredients are crafted by hand

When building the brand, the pair placed a huge emphasis on creating something real, unique and authentic.

Botanicals:

  • Juniper
  • Angelica root
  • Cassia
  • Coriander
  • Star Anise
  • Cardamom
  • Cucumber
  • Spearmint
  • Pear
  • Lemon
  • Bergamot
  • Curacao

Judging by the long list of botanicals, you can see that it’s a pretty flavoursome spirit.

The gin delivers hints of citrus, mint and star anise.

It’s got an earthy yet citrusy vibe to it, very unusual from any other gin I’ve tried.

On the nose:

The top notes are fresh, of green leaves with floral hints following through with a kick of mint to the nose.

It’s a very crisp, natural aroma, very different from other gins.

Straight:

The classic taste of juniper can be felt immediately by then it giving way to the lingering spice and evocative earthly notes mingled with citrus flavours.

The green fruit provides a refreshing aftertaste with warm and sweet anise notes.

It’s lovely and smooth on the palate.

With Tonic:

With tonic you really can taste the fresh, citrusy flavours.

It’s not as sweet as your usual berry gins, it’s much more of a crisp finish.

Very refreshing.

Signature Serve:

  • 35.5ml Bonac 24
  • Thomas Henry Tonic Water
  • A lime wedge
  • Mint
  • Ice

Where To Find It:

A 700ml bottle of Bonac 24 costs €45 and you’ll find in most O’Briens stores.

It can also be found in the Celtic Whiskey Shop, L. Mulligan Whiskey Shop, Blackrock Cellar and many more stores and bars across the country.

To order online, click here.

This gin really did impress me. It’s nice to try something a little different from the rest.

Header image: @bonacirishgin

READ MORE: GINFLUENCED: MÓR IRISH GIN IS IDEAL FOR AN ADVENTUROUS PALETTE

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