This is a gin from another intriguing source – Argentina! This is the only Argentine gin I have been able to lay my hands on till date. The distillery itself is in Mendoza (famous for all the wines) but all the ingredients come from the place where this gin originated initially – Misiones. “Principe De Los Apostoles” literally meaning the Prince of the Apostles. The Mate refers to Yerba Mate which is indigenous to the area around Misiones and was originally used to make tea!

Concocted by the famous mixologist Tato Giovannoni, this gin is made by distilling yerba mate, eucalyptus, peperina (a type of mint indigenous to that area), coriander, juniper and pink grapefruit skin. The base alcohol is made from wheat. According to their website, they macerate everything other than the peperina for 24 hours in stainless steel containers and the peperina for only 2 hours before they are distilled in German copper stills.

Overall, I liked the effect the gin left on me. The nose is minty and almost floral. The palate is silky and pungent – the mate comes thru with a very balanced bitterness so as to not drown out the citrusy grapefruit. The only negative points I would give is to the length. The finish is very short and almost makes you wonder whatever happened to all that juniper. That said, I love this understated but memorable gin.