Exceptional Gin Salicórnia Collection – Aveiro – 41% – 70cl – Portugal

Exceptional Salicórnia Collection is an artisanal Portuguese dry gin created in Aveiro, a city intimately connected with the ria, salt marshes and Atlantic coast. Its defining botanical is salicórnia, the salt-tolerant coastal plant characteristic of Portuguese marsh environments, giving the expression a particularly appropriate connection to Aveiro. Exceptional uses an unusually extensive botanical composition. The producer lists ingredients including salicórnia, juniper, Algarve orange, lime, lemongrass, lavender, hibiscus, bay leaf, Azorean pineapple, star anise, coriander seed, ginger, tonka bean, goji berry, Madagascar cinnamon, black cardamom, camellia flower, acacia flower and sea lettuce, among others. The resulting profile is described as distinctly mineral and fresh, opening with citrus notes of orange balanced by delicate floral aromas. The palate becomes rounder and velvety, developing vanilla and ripe-fruit nuances before a long, lightly spicy finish. Exceptional Gin was created by Elsa Sousa and Luís Almeida. Development of the distillery began in 2017, with the first bottles reaching the market at the end of 2020, initially for export; Portuguese commercialization followed in 2021 with a strong focus on Aveiro. The bottle’s elaborate gold-wrapped neck, decorative seal and gold presentation make this example particularly attractive visually.