Same Old Dog – Brewdog Lonewolf DC
So, it is the limited gin editions season again. This year, Brewdog weighs in with a new flavour combination for their regular Lonewolf Gin. In this case, the Distiller’s Cut is flavoured with lime and two of the hottest chilli peppers in the world. Since this somehow reminded me of Mexico, I decided to come up with a variation of the “Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique”.
Brewdog uses their usual recipe for the Lonewolf Distiller’s Cut 2021. However, as the name suggests, they extended the list of botanicals with the zest of Mexican limes and chillies. In fact, the used Scotch Bonnet from Western Africa and the Caribbean and Habanero chilli from Mexico. The other ingredients used are almonds, angelica root, cardamom, coriander, grapefruit, juniper, lavender, lemongrass, lemon peel, macis, Makrut lime, Orris root, pine needles and pink peppercorns. All in all, the gin is bottled at 44 % ABV.
A lot of citrus notes
Although, citrus fruits are a common gin botanical, the Lonewolf Distiller’s Cut still is quite lime-heavy and reminded me of a lime eau de vie. Although, the spices and the juniper still shine through, the Distiller’s Cut tastes different from the other bottlings. The chilli notes are noticeable, but not that dominant. You can taste some hot spices and black pepper.
No Mezcal, but still smoky
As mentioned, I based the drink using the Lonewolf DC on the “Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique” by Erick Castro. However, I obviously replaced the mezcal with the Brewdog gin. Instead of Punt e Mes, I went for the Mancino Chinato, a Barbera d’Asti enhanced vermouth blend. For the coffee liqueur I used the Australian Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur. Its a blend of cold drip coffee from Colombia, Kenia and Papua-New Guinea with wheat vodka and cane sugar. To round everything off, I also added a few dashes of Dr. Sours Three Chilli Bitters.
1,5 cl Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur
2,25 cl Mancino Chinato Vermouth
Rinse of Islay Whiskey
Stir – strain – chilled Old-Fashioned glass over ice cubes;
Garnish: Orange Twist – Brandied Cherry;
Song: The Rides – Same Old Dog;
The “Same Old Dog” starts with a clear coffee note from the cold brew liqueur, enhanced by a slight smokiness. After that the gin makes its way to your palate with spices and a clear lime flavour. The vermouth gives the drink structure and a wine-like backbone. Yet, towards the end of the sip the gin and the bitters form an alliance to bring the chilli flavour more to the front of the taste. You definitely should dose the bitters lightly, because they do come through in the final taste. Compared to the original, the drink is lighter with less smoke, but also a bit more balanced. I especially, enjoyed the combination of hot chillies with the coffee flavour.
*The fact that I received a product reviewed in this article for free, did not – in any way – influence the rating of said product. The gin was provided by Kirsch-Whisky and the coffee liqueur by Perola GmbH.
