First Impressions
Every family has a Zio Valerio. August Sebastiani's great-uncle was an Italian gardener and cook whose Sonoma kitchen garden supplied the herbs, vegetables and fruit that defined family meals. When Sebastiani created this gin through 3 Badge Beverage (formerly 35 Maple Street) in California, he distilled Uncle Val's garden into a bottle: cucumber, lemon, sage, lavender and juniper. Five botanicals. Nothing more. The simplicity is the point.
Tasting
A corn-base spirit is five times distilled, then redistilled with botanicals using an infusion technique with botanical tea bags — an unusual approach that produces remarkable clarity. The nose is vivid and exceptionally bright: fresh-cut cucumber in cool water, hints of sweet pickle, tangerine and Amalfi lemon with a lemon verbena edge. Juniper hides in the background greenery. On the palate, cucumber arrives first with a deceptively smooth, moderately viscous mouthfeel. Fresh herbal lemon follows, then cooling melissa and neroli mid-palate with floral hints of geranium and orange cream. French lavender is present but never dominant. The finish is where juniper finally steps forward — long and gently piney after playing background all along.
The Bottom Line
Uncle Val's earns a 7 for proving that restraint can be more interesting than complexity. The Gin Is In rates it 4.5 out of 5, recommending it to fans of Hendrick's or Martin Miller's. It works beautifully neat, shines in a cucumber G&T, and has the versatility that five well-chosen botanicals provide over fifteen muddled ones. Zio Valerio would approve — in his garden, the best tomato was never the one with the most fertiliser.
