Sharish Blue Magic Gin

If you would indulge me in a brief history lesson, In the 8th century the Iberian peninsula of Portugal came under occupation by Arab forces. The small village of Monsaraz quickly became known by the Arabic term Sharish, which of course we all know means rockrose. The name Monsaraz itself is the Iberian transliteration of the Arabic Sharish. A small footnote in the pages of history perhaps, but it is nevertheless a good name for a bottle of gin

Speaking of gin, this bringing us up to more recent times in 2013, when the Sharish gin distiller first opened its doors. Now the first thing you will notice about Sharish gin is it’s striking blue colour. This bright blue comes from the extracts of a flower known as blue pea. When you introduce tonic to the gin an interesting thing happens, by some alchemy the once vivid blue turns a soft pink before your eyes, always a good trick to impress your friends.

Aside from the blue pea this gin is crammed with other Portuguese ingredients, from Bravo Apple to oranges and lemons from Alentejo and fresh Lemon Beebrush. These are combined with more traditional botancials such as juniper, coriander, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla. All ingredients are cold infused separately in a base spirit made up from 50% molasses and a 50% mix (30% rice and 70% wheat). ​All of the botanicals, except the vanilla and cinnamon, are distilled separately, and coming out of the still at around 85 – 90% abv.

​ The distillates are then watered down to 40% and blended together in a 210 litre tank, wherein the vanilla and cinnamon are added to infuse.

All this aside, was it worth the effort ?

SilverFox Tasting Notes
You sit on a sunny hillside surrounded by bushes of wild fruit. The air is warm with a hint of spice coming from the cooking fires of the nearby village, with a feint citrus sweetness drawing you home.

Sharish Tasting Notes
Nose: Fruity notes up front, followed by warm coriander and ginger.
Taste: Spicy at first, followed of waves of citrus with a burst of berry.
Finish: Soft juniper and a hint of coriander.

Average Price: £37.95
Fox’s Rating: 7/10

Clearly a lot of love and effort has gone into the production of this gin and this is a great Portuguese entry into a crowded market. It’s a nice drink to sip on a hot summer’s day. The eye catching colour and bottle make a nice entry to any collection, combined with the fun of the colour changing aspect this gin is certainly worth a try. You are however paying for these features, as at around £37 this gin is sitting at the higher end of the price range. If you feel like splashing out on a nice, interesting, gin then this product is for you, but do bear in mind you can find arguably superior drinks at a lower price.

The SilverFox