First Impressions
Kongsgaard Raw Gin uses eleven bespoke botanicals including one of the most unusual in gin: Viking Gold — resin from ancient trees preserved under Danish seas for millennia, which leaves notes of pine when distilled. Danish apples come from small orchards on islands in the southern archipelago. Charred oak lends smoky flavour. Organic Bulgarian juniper provides the backbone. ISC Gold Medal.
Tasting
Eleven botanicals including Viking Gold resin, Danish apple, charred oak, ginger, galangal, and Italian lemon. The nose is warm cinnamon and apple — tarte tatin, ancient pine from the resin, charred oak smoke. On the palate at 44%, smooth: juniper, sweet citrus, ginger-galangal spice, apple sweetness, smoky dryness from the charred oak. The finish is clean with oak smoke and ancient pine.
The Bottom Line
Kongsgaard earns an 8 — the Viking Gold resin is a botanical of extraordinary provenance: millennia-old tree resin preserved under the sea. No other gin uses anything comparable. The charred oak and Danish apple create a warm, smoky character. ISC Gold confirms the quality. Best neat or in an Old Fashioned-style serve. At £41, a gin with a Viking soul and a gold medal.
