Charente gin: don't resist the temptation

Although Cognac wine has been very popular since the 3rd century, it has the disadvantage of not traveling well because of its low alcohol content. This is why, in the 15th century, its producers had the good idea to distill it. This new spirit seduces the Dutch who call it “brandewijn”, which literally means “burnt wine” (“brandy” in English). As this brandy is sometimes stored for many months, its lovers realize that it improves with age, especially when it is placed in oak barrels. As the different distillation techniques evolved, trading companies settled in the town of Cognac and developed the trade of this beverage all over the world.

Cognac is made from grape juice mainly from white ugni, but other grape varieties can also be used. After pressing the grapes and 5 to 7 days of fermentation, the wine obtained is acid and cloudy. It is then gently heated in a copper “Charentais still”. This allows a double distillation, essential for the elaboration of cognac. We then obtain a brandy titling at 70° which is aged in oak barrels for several years. Cognac is generally made by blending different eaux-de-vie. The final spirit has sweetness in the mouth and aromas of citrus and candied fruit. When bottled relatively young, it is generally livelier with spicy notes.

If we tend to associate gin with Great Britain, it is not the English who are at the origin. Indeed, the first appearance of this drink is in the Spanish Netherlands in the seventeenth century. This part of the world was then made up of the majority of the departments of the present-day Nord and Pas-de-Calais, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. However, the trade of this “genever” spread quickly in England, until the ban on the importation of brandy in 1688. From there, the English distillers will produce an alcohol close to the genever that they will call “gin”. This example will be followed by many other European countries, including France.

The different types of gin all have in common that they are made from a neutral alcohol of agricultural origin and aromatics consisting of juniper berries, coriander and angelica. The aromatization can be done before the distillation, by maceration during 1 to 2 days directly in the alcohol, or by infusion during this one. Among the two main varieties of gin, we distinguish the “London Dry Gin” or “English gin” which is slightly flavored and which is traditionally used in cocktails. Belgian or Dutch gin is characterized by a second distillation during which aromatics such as licorice, anise, orange peel, etc. are added. We then obtain a very perfumed drink.

If gin and cognac do not have the same origin nor the same recipe, their elaboration has however in common to require the mastery, among other things, of the wine making techniques and to require a double distillation. This is why it would have been a shame to limit the Charente to the production of cognac. The companies in the sector have understood this and now offer a diversified range of quality eaux-de-vie for the pleasure of wine lovers all over the world, without overshadowing the department’s emblematic drink. Strengthened by the experience of their elders, the new generations wanted to explore other gustatory horizons by proposing, among other things, Charentais gin, whose excellence was immediately at the origin of its success.

Alongside warm, amber-colored drinks such as rum and whiskey, Kingspirit’s French gin stands out for its sparkling transparency. The pleasure comes first through the eyes that discover its obvious majesty in a bottle of pure elegance. Despite the golden python that jealously guards it and gives it an obvious forbidden fruit look, you won’t be able to resist the temptation to caress its scales. This is how you will be able to smell the complex aromas of this gin from Charente. The tasting will reveal a bewitching bitterness where the best of juniper berries serves complex and more subtle nuances for a taste experience out of time and usual standards. Your taste buds have simply plunged into an ecstatic moment from which you will return transformed forever.

If you would like to discover our premium French gin or have any questions about it, please contact us via our contact form. Our team will be happy to answer you as soon as possible.