There are gins that play it safe, and then there are gins that dare you to rethink everything you thought you knew about juniper spirits. Audemus Umami Gin belongs firmly in the latter camp — a London Dry that wears its name like a provocation, promising that elusive fifth taste in a category not typically associated with savoury depth.
A Concept That Demands Attention
At 42% ABV, Audemus Umami Gin sits at a confident but approachable strength, allowing whatever botanical architecture lies beneath to express itself without the burn of higher-proof spirits. The name Audemus itself — Latin for "we dare" — tells you everything about the ambition here. This is a distillery that has set out to challenge convention, and the umami concept is a bold thesis statement.
London Dry as a classification demands that the botanical character come through distillation rather than post-distillation additions, which makes the umami promise all the more intriguing. Whatever combination of botanicals the team has assembled, they've committed to achieving that savoury, mouth-coating quality through craft alone. It is the kind of intellectual exercise that separates the experimentalists from the traditionalists in modern gin-making.
Worth the Journey
I find myself giving Audemus Umami Gin a 7.4 out of 10 — a score that reflects genuine respect for the concept and its ambition, while acknowledging that such a singular flavour profile will not be for everyone. This is a gin that rewards the curious drinker.
Best served in a martini, dirty if you dare, where the savoury character can stretch out and claim the glass as its own — ideally on a rain-slicked evening when you want something that makes you think as much as it makes you drink.
