Profile of the week: Himbrimi Gin

A couple of weeks ago I received a letter that I really want to share with you guys.

It describes the story behind the gin - always nice to know that it is a real artisanal spirit made with lots of love.

Four years ago, after Óskar Ericsson moved back to Iceland from the north of Norway, he decided to create a gin that would be the perfect companion to take along on fishing trips and mountain hikes in the Icelandic wilderness. He wanted the gin to be natural, sincere, pure, and inspired by the scents and sounds of Icelandic nature.

Two of Iceland’s most prominent and favorite herbs came to play the leading roles in the floral taste of Himbrimi. First, the bright purple flowers of the “Blóðberg” known in Englishas Arctic Thyme, and secondly, the flowers of the “Hvönn” also known as Angelica. Both bloom along the banks of rivers, and by combining them with juniper berries and pure honey, an ode to the river was created in the form of a very unique gin.

And so came along “Himbrimi Gin”, named after the Great Northern Diver, also known as the common loon, a bird known in Iceland by all fishing enthusiasts and nature lovers like Óskar.

The recipe used to make Himbrimi Gin is based on early 19th century Old Tom gin recipes, when gin was filtered instead of re-distilled. The reason for the re-distillation was due to the poor water quality in London, and gin had to be distilled multiple times to cleanse it. Since Himbrimi is made with pure Icelandic water that had been filtered by lava rocks and all natural wild hand-picked herbs, a re-distillation is unnecessary. By doing so, the natural oils and flavors become much more prominent, resulting in an extremely floral, amber- colored gin with a long, smooth aftertaste. Each batch of Himbrimi is hand crafted and is therefor unique, depending on the seasons and weather when the herbs are picked, and every single bottle is numbered by hand by Óskar.

Himbrimi Gin is an Old Tom Gin, which is somewhat of a missing link between gin and jenever, and the grandfather of the London Dry. It is much sweeter than regular gin, and perfect served neat as a snifter. It must be said that Himbrimi is a rather delicate gin, and should you choose to mix it, I must advice you to mix it with care. Don’t get me wrong, it works absolutely great in a variety of cocktails, but its unique taste may easily become overwhelmed by unflattering flavors, should one become reckless.

Once it is mixed properly, however, the flowers of the Arctic Thyme will bloom and release a whole new aroma. Himbrimi is especially suitable in a Tom Collins, a cocktail originally invented to be used with Old Tom Gin. Try also mixing it in old fashions like gimlets or negroni, or go experimental and try to do what I did, make a original tt-tasty cocktail using black smoked tea, because as you might know, Icelandic's love smoked food, so why not try to smoke this gin as well. You can go to cocktail of the week and check this out!

The ingredients that really make this gin stand out are juniper berries, crushed to release oils and aroma. The wild Angelica flowers handpicked along the banks of lakes and rivers. Wild Arctic thyme, the "piece de resistance“ in Himbrimi Gin one of Iceland ́s favourite herbs, lavender-like and very floral.

Then last but not least the Honey gives Himbrimi Gin its sweetness that allows it to be served neat.

The Tasting Notes:

- Nose:

Honey, lavender, and earthy like the Icelandic highlands after a spell of rain.

- Palate:

Juniper to the fore, followed by very bright floral notes. The lavender-like arctic thyme is definitely the dominating flavour but is complemented by the sweet honey and crisp

angelica seeds. Smooth, sweet and soothing.

- Finish:

An extremely long, smooth aftertaste. The floral notes linger on the tongue for ages.

- Mood: Special. Perfect to impress or celebrate.

I hope you will enjoy drinking Himbrimi as much as Óskar enjoyed creating each batch, and should you have any questions, recommendations, or comments, feel free to contact him: info@himbrimi.com

Should you ever happen to visit Iceland, be sure to drop by Óskar's Tasting Room located on Reykjavik’s main square, Lækjartorg. Until then, Himbrimi Gin can be found on the world wide web by visiting www.himbrimi.com, facebook.com/himbrimigin, and @ginhimbrimi on the Instagram and the Twitter.