By Kathy Chouteau
Richmond is known for its take on many notable creations: Birria tacos, craft beer, wine, music, art and WWII ships among them—and now, thanks to Dissident Spirits recent showing at the prestigious New York Wine and Spirits Competition—we can add award-winning gin to the list.
The Marina Bay distillery’s Monterey Pine Gin was awarded Best U.S. Gin in the entire prestigious spirits competition, as well as a Double Gold Medal—meaning that it received a gold medal from the entire judging panel and is regarded as being among the finest products in the world, per info provided by the competition.
According to Distillery Manager Oliver Gothe, judging for the competition occurred in late August, with the results being released in late September. While the Richmond distillers realized at the time they had won a Double Gold Medal, they just learned last week that they had also taken home the Best U.S. Gin award too.
“…being able to stand next to the best spirits in the world and be recognized feels incredible.”
Gothe said the award-winning Monterey Pine Gin can be described as such: An aroma of pine and deep earth notes; a front-palate of soft pine into honey; a mid-palate of rosemary and citrus; and a finish that’s sweet, cinnamon and earthy.
When asked what makes the Monterey Pine Gin award-winning, Gothe said that Dissident Spirits’ gins are “very focused and precise,” and pull back on “some of the often over expressed flavors in gin, such as juniper, in order to create a better balance with the other botanicals we use.” He added that they also are “very deliberate with what botanicals we add to our gins” and “aim to create balance between far fewer ingredients, which allows for the individual flavor components to really shine through.”
Dissident Spirits’ Head Distiller Adrian Willey joined Gothe in a statement about the double honors: “We opened our distillery because we love to share our spirits with friends and our local community—being able to stand next to the best spirits in the world and be recognized feels incredible.”
“We are proud to bring home such a prestigious award to Richmond so early on in our journey and we are extremely grateful for all the incredible support that this amazing community has shown us.”
Want to taste the award-winning Monterey Pine Gin for yourself? Dissident Spirits’ Tasting Room’s hours are Fridays from 3-8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 1-6 p.m. It’s located at 855 Marina Bay Parkway, Suite 28, in Richmond. Learn more here.
