First Impressions
Alkkemist — the name derived from alchemy, the medieval art of transformation — is distilled only twelve times a year, once per full moon. This is not marketing whimsy: the distillery follows a strict lunar calendar, macerating select botanicals when the moon's influence is at its peak. Based in Jávea on Spain's Mediterranean coast and distilled in Alicante, it uses a traditional copper alembic still with quadruple distillation, keeping only the heart of each run. The first gin to use Moscatel grape in its production, selected from the best Mediterranean vines and added at the end of the process.
Tasting
Twenty-one botanicals — samphire, sage, verbena, sweet chamomile, Mahon chamomile, rose petals, balm, rock tea, thyme, fennel, angelica, cardamom, mint, pennyroyal, and Moscatel grape among them. The nose is soft yet complex: menthol, pine, anise, cloves, dried citrus peel, and a floral finish of roses and grape. On the palate, light-bodied and silky — an initial citrus blast transitions to creamy grape and strawberry sweetness before drying with anise and pepper spice. 91 points from Tastings.com. The juniper is deliberately muted; Mediterranean herbs and florals lead.
The Bottom Line
Alkkemist earns a 7 — a genuinely distinctive gin whose lunar distillation and Moscatel grape provide real character rather than gimmickry. The quadruple distillation and heart-only extraction produce a clean, elegant spirit where 21 botanicals achieve harmony rather than chaos. Not one for a classic juniper-forward G&T — this belongs in a Negroni, a dry Martini, or a Spanish-style copa with strawberry and black pepper. The Moscatel grape adds a creamy, vinous quality you simply won't find in any other gin. At £43, you're paying for an unusual process that genuinely delivers.
