First Impressions
Xoriguer (pronounced sho-ri-GAR) is Menorca's sole surviving gin distillery, a legacy of British naval rule on the island from 1708. The gin is unlike anything made in Britain: the base spirit comes from Penedès grapes (parellada and xarel-lo), the juniper berries are sourced from the Pyrenean foothills and aged 2-3 years in open sea air to concentrate their aromatics, and distillation happens in copper pot stills over a wood fire. It holds a protected Geographical Indication as Gin de Mahón.
Tasting
The nose carries distinctive grape spirit sweetness underneath intense pine and juniper, with sage and conifer notes. On the palate, thick and luscious with copious pine and juniper — spruce, faint lemon zest, sage, juniper needle and pine, with the grape spirit adding roundness. The finish is long with dry, conifer-in-the-rain notes and pleasant enduring warmth.
The Bottom Line
Xoriguer earns an 8 for being genuinely unique — a living link to 18th-century British naval gin-drinking culture, preserved on a Mediterranean island. The grape spirit base and sea-air-aged juniper create something no London distillery could replicate. Best enjoyed the Menorcan way: two parts gin to one part lemonade, ice, and a Mediterranean sunset. At around £27, a remarkable piece of gin history.
