Archangel Gin
Archangel · Old Curiosity Distillery
Old Curiosity's Archangel is a juniper-and-angelica-forward gin that leans into the earthy, rooty end of the botanical spectrum. It's a gin that tastes deliberately austere — built for structure rather than fruit, and all the better for it in a classic Martini.
Nose
Clean juniper leads, with a piney, resinous quality rather than green or herbaceous. Angelica root provides an earthy, musky depth, while coriander seed adds a citrusy warmth. There's a faint floral lift — violet or iris — that hovers in the background.
Palate
Dry and crisp on entry. The juniper is front and center but not overpowering, giving way to lemon zest, angelica's earthy bitterness, and a peppery mid-palate. The texture is silky, with a minerally quality that reads almost like wet stone.
Finish
Medium, clean, with juniper and angelica trailing into a pleasantly bitter, rooty dryness.
- Style
- London Dry
- Botanicals
- Juniper, angelica root, coriander seed, lemon peel, orris root, cassia bark, black pepper
- Base Spirit
- Neutral grain spirit
- Distillation
- One-shot distillation in a copper pot still
Cocktail Suggestion
Dry Martini — 2.5 oz Archangel Gin · 0.5 oz dry vermouth · Stir with ice for 30 seconds, strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass, garnish with a lemon twist.
Food Pairing
The gin's piney juniper and lemon notes cut through the sardines' oiliness, while the angelica's earthiness complements their char.
Old Curiosity Distillery grows many of its botanicals at its own herb garden outside Edinburgh, distilling small batches in a copper pot still named Dorothy.
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