Do You Folks Read Labels? On Bottles of Booze? Strange Monkey Gin, is Now at Your Favorite ABC Store!

Courtesy Silverback Distillary

Well, I confess, yes, I'm a label reader. I read them all. When I go in a grocery store,  I read the labels. And, when I go in the ABC store (In Virginia, all booze is sold by the state in Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) stores.) I read the labels.

Actually, I often pick out a new booze if I like the label. Hey, it might have a little humor or comedy to it. And, that's what happened today.

For several years when I buy gin I buy Broker's. Yes, I started buying that brand because of the label and a little tag they hang on the bottle. Today when I went in the ABC store it was going to be a gin day and I went to find the Broker's.  It was on sale, I think two bucks off, and I was going to buy three bottles. For some reason, I glanced to the left of the Broker's and there it was....Strange Monkey Gin. Well, I couldn't resist.

I picked-up a bottle and turned it around and read the label. 

Here's the label......

Charles Darwin said, "No other member in the whole class of mammals is coloured in so extraordinary a manner as the adult male mandrills." We like to think that If Darwin drank our hand crafted gin his quote would be "no other spirit in the whole class of libations tastes as extraordinary as STRANGE MONKEY GIN." There is no better hand crafted gin than STRANGE MONKEY. EVERYONE NEEDS A LITTLE STRANGE...now and then.

Hmmm. The needing a little strange seems a little crude...but, so be it.

Yes, I bought one bottle. Dang, can't remember how much it was but it was far-more expensive than Broker's. I guess what helped cinch the deal is that it's made in the Silverback Distillery in Virginia. Now, why should being made in Virginia matter? Well, that's a question for another time. I guess another thing is that these folks just opened this year. You know, give them a little support. I'm hoping it's a bunch of pals who got together, maxed out their credit cards, second/third mortgages on their houses, and said, Hey, we're going to make some darn good booze. Frankly, if I find that a huge multinational corporation owns them, I'll be less enthused.

They have more products coming.

So, how is the Strange Monkey Gin?

Courtesy Silverback Distillary

Do I have any special training in evaluating or testing spirits? Nope. I do drink them from time to time, though. OK, I'll give it a try.

It's not harsh. It's at least as smooth as other gins I've had.  I think the only thing unique is a taste that I can't describe other than to say it's interesting. Spicy? Hmmm... I'm getting way out of my area here.

Well, yes, just tried a couple more sips. Yep, this is stuff is pretty good, whatever that means.

Will I being buying more Strange Monkey Gin? As of this moment, yes. In fact, looking forward to them having their other products available.

You folks out there who drink, Hey, try Strange Monkey. You shouldn't be disappointed.

Edit: November 29, 2014

I asked the Strange Monkey folks permission to use these two images that are theirs. I got an immediate and pleasant response saying it would be OK. 

And, no it ain't no multinational corporation who own the distillery.

The gentleman included the following in his letter to me.

Here are the ingredients we distill with in our Strange Monkey:

Juniper Berries

Coriander

Anise

Lemon Peel

Sweet Orange Peel

Mandarin Bitter Orange Peel

Almond

He invited us all to visit his distillery, which is in one of our State's most beautiful areas.

 Silverback distillery at 9374 Rockfish Valley HWY, Afton, VA 22920

He, Denver Riggleman, also mentioned that their BERINGEI Vodka is now on the shelves at your favorite ABC store. Also, available at their distillery is their Blackback White Grain Spirit (Bourbon Mash Moonshine) and they will have a bourbon and rye whisky. 

I had forgotten to mention that their distillery is green, I believe that is the term used, as they are looking out for our environment.

Here's an article from the News Advance about the distillery.

Another article from Blue Ridge Life magazine.