Two Accents Siren Navy Strength Gin (700ml)

A massive Gin clearance as distillery shuts up shop. Over 50% off. Elsewhere pay up to $115.

When Australia hit peak gin several years ago, overwhelming competition meant more than a few brands failed to achieve sales momentum - even those whose gins stood out. It impacted producers at both ends of the passion scale. At the high end was Two Accents, kickstarted by an Aussie and a Brit: the ever-enthusiastic Adam Jacobs together with Laurie Bilby, who was making English sloe gin with her grandma at the age of seven. Batch-distilling in a traditional copper pot in McLaren Vale they debuted with the obligatory London Dry, then introduced a limited edition Navy Strength for high-octane cocktails. Shiraz from one hundred-year-old vines was added to the mix and the results were two novel takes on traditional Sloe - a Shiraz Gin and a Barrel-Aged Shiraz Gin. They all landed at premium prices, backed up by quality inside the bottle. The business has now closed and remaining stocks are being sacrificed to recover whatever's possible from the initial investment. If you run a bar or are thinking ahead to Spring / Summer celebrations, buying at least a six-pack of each for volume mixing will pay off in the months to come. What you get here are not second-rate spirits selling closer to the price they should have been to begin with - these gins are small batch runs that have been honed over time. They're true to style, pure and smooth enough to drink neat over ice.

'Siren' is Two Accents boozy alternative to mid-strength London Dry. It may not be as expressive on the nose as some other Navy Strengths we've tasted, but it still packs in a dense, juniper-heavy bouquet that includes pine forest floor, citrus zest and liquorice root as well as hints of grapefruit and dried herbs. The palate attack is significantly more intense while remaining keenly balanced with citrus, juniper and anise accents. The mid palate turns creamy, viscous and deeply warming; think Fisherman's Friend lozenges capped off by deliciously fresh and citrusy gin flavours, with a creamy Pastis-like note woven through the finish. Add a dash of water and the texture fluffs up while the profile speaks mostly of mandarin peel and citrus oils; the dry, earthy juniper elements are still present, only pushed further into the background. Even without water, it's easy to forget this is no regular-strength gin, so keep it in mind when adjusting proportions for G&Ts. 57.2% Alc./Vol.

Notes from the producers... Our Siren Gin is made to seduce, with a gorgeous siren song of perfectly blended flavours. Bottled at “Navy Strength” it has been created to be superbly balanced and dangerously smooth. On the nose there are Mandarin tones, liquorice and nuttiness. The flavour profile offers citrus lengthened by a warm back note provided by star anise, cassia, liquorice root and toasted coriander seeds, while the finish is incredibly smooth.