First Impressions
Ilomantsi is a village in Eastern Finland, close to the Russian border, surrounded by dense boreal forest and lakes. Master distiller Arko Ryynänen and Michelin-starred chef Jaakko Sorsa met here and decided to create a gin that tasted of the Finnish wilderness. Their secret weapon was the bilberry — the wild Arctic blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), smaller, darker and far more flavourful than any cultivated blueberry. Combined with juniper, cardamom, liquorice root and fresh Finnish spring water, the bilberry defines Arctic Blue. The gin won Double Gold and Spirit of the Year at the World Spirits Awards in 2018.
Tasting
The nose is powerful juniper with liquorice root, grapefruit and tart red berries — a coniferous forest character, the bilberry adding a wild dimension. On the palate, piney juniper meets coriander and citrus zest with a burst of white pepper adding length and depth. The bilberry provides subtle sweetness without cloying. Cardamom brings warmth. The Finnish spring water creates remarkable clarity. Vibrant and warming at 46.2%. The finish is dry and warm with juniper and bilberry lingering together, white pepper extending, pine needle character.
The Bottom Line
Arctic Blue earns a 7 — Spirit of the Year 2018 is a serious accolade for a gin from a village most people have never heard of. The chef-distiller collaboration shows: there is a culinary precision to the botanical balance that pure distillers sometimes miss. Wild bilberries are the key — they provide a berry character that cultivated blueberries cannot match, intense and tart rather than sweet and flat. Best served cold with a premium tonic and a handful of frozen berries.
