2010 was the year in which I first heard about Nolet’s Reserve gin. I heard about this legendary Dutch gin, wrapped in a golden label, protecting a bottle of the rarest of botanicals and the most carefully crafted distillations the gin world had ever known. This gin possessed a sort of far off, mystical quality to its existence. Also, I heard of its price tag. 700 dollars?! I must admit that I was both intrigued and skeptical.

Generally, when one sees an extremely expensive liqueur, one can assume that the pricing is largely due to the aging of the spirit. Aging a spirit requires many resources, including space and time; both of which contribute to cost. Many distilleries are taxed for shelved products, year after year as their products age, further driving up cost. Traditionally, these factors contribute to the pricing of many spirits on the market, including whiskey, rum, fine liqueurs, and many others. However, these factors do not normally affect the pricing of gin. Gin: the lovely neutral distilled spirit, flavored with juniper berries, is not, traditionally, a spirit intended to be consumed beyond thirty years, or so, after its distillation. So, how can the Nolet’s Reserve claim a $699.99 price tag on a 750ml bottle of a spirit that is unaged? Curious to identify the rationale behind all of this mysticism, I performed some rudimentary research into Nolet’s.

The Nolet Family of Schiedam Holland has been continually distilling since 1691; over 300 years of distilling history, which nearly covers the entire spectrum of time since gin was born as a variation of Dutch geniever. With this nugget of historical knowledge, I figured, well, if anyone was going to produce the world’s most expensive spirit in this category, the Nolet Family has the birth right to do so. Another interesting tidbit of knowledge is that the Nolet family is responsible for creating a very popular premium vodka: Ketel One. Ketel, released in the early 1980s, is one of the world’s top selling high-end vodkas. Ok, so the company has a history that dates back as far as gin goes and a solid record of product success. I guess I am starting to see the picture, at least a little.

My next thought was that, if I could ever get my hands on a bottle of the Reserve, I would first want to match its quality against a, comparatively, lower end version of Nolet’s gin: the Nolet’s Silver, which is valued at approximately $50 per 750ml bottle, making it among the most expensive gins on the shelf at my bar, Wisdom. It is also one of my favorite gins on the market. Nolet’s Silver is a product of the Nolet family’s 11th generation and is a floral forward gin made with peach, raspberry, and Turkish Rose, yet it retains a noticeable and vibrant juniper backbone. It is excellent. The Nolet Reserve is the brainchild of Carolus Nolet Sr. and is regarded as the flagship product of the Nolet’s business.

Alright fine, so the family may have legitimate history behind this flagship product and their overall brand, but still, $700 a bottle? Almost $30 an ounce at cost? If you were lucky enough to find a bar that carried it to sample it, the normal markup (20-25% of cost) would dictate $120-$150 per ounce. Damn. I could drink premium all night for myself plus a couple of friends for that price. So, how does someone like me justify this purchase? Yes, I own three bars, but I live like a Buddhist as a result, so…in reality, my bars own me. I’m the stereotypical entrepreneur working way too many hours a week, never taking time off, and regularly day-dreaming of taking a real vacation some day. I’d get to the Nolet’s Reserve in due time. Well, as it turns out, the time was due before I knew it was, the universe stepped in and answered my need–my staff surprised me with a bottle of the Nolet’s Reserve last October for Wisdom’s four year anniversary! This was truly the most amazing gift I have ever received–and quite humbling, as a boss, to get this quality of respect and recognition from among the staff, especially in the perennially nomadic industry in which we work and play. I was very grateful to my team and, of course, excited for the opportunity to explore one of the prime subjects of my gin intrigue for these last few years.

I stared at the golden box for over a year–scared to break the seal. My instructions for my roommate have been made clear: should the place catch fire, grab the dog and the Nolet’s Reserve, leave everything else. Finally, the milestone I had been waiting for had arrived: the five year anniversary of the opening of Wisdom: my first business. My family from Colorado had come into town too, setting the stage for a christening. After an excellent meal, myself and the other taste explorers set out to my closed bar for the unleashing.

I carefully cracked open the seal. A thought passed that made me laugh–what if it was just water inside? Perhaps this was just a hoax from the staff that I thought respected me so much? Ha! Alas, it was open and the bouquet hit me. The 52.3%-104.6 proof spirit immediately reminded me of the floral forward cousin of which I was familiar: the Nolet’s Silver. We poured and added a cube of ice and tasted. Eventually, some bottled water was added. I have never tasted an unaged spirit at such a high proof. It was astoundingly soft yet thick, blanketing the tongue, yet not overwhelming it. The nerd in me admits that my first thought, at this point, was that this was clearly the type of gin that the elves from the Lord of the Rings would have sipped. It had a golden hue with saffron and verbena notes and delicate subtle complexity– definitely a sipping gin. One thing is for sure: this gin cannot be mixed with any vermouth or really anything for that matter. It is wise to reduce the strength with a touch of good, clean water just to open up the true flavor. Ah, so impressive. I believe this may be the finest spirit I have ever tasted. Exceptional.

Ok, so, was this unicorn water 14x better than the Nolet’s Silver, as the price would suggest? Well, no, not exactly. I make the assumption that the cost is related to several unique factors though. One is likely to be the small size of the heart of the batch, taken during distillation, resulting in a dramatically smaller yield of product, which would inevitably contribute to a much higher price–but that one is just an educated guess. Another is that Nolet’s Master Distiller handpicks the botanicals and personally crafts the spirit, which certainly adds to the price. A third is that the Nolet’s Reserve includes saffron as a prime botanical (the most expensive spice on the planet–more expensive than gold).

Ok, so this is an absolutely incredible gin. Traditionally, I personally prefer mixing gins where the botanicals can pop and shine when shaken with other worthy elements; I simply love the subtle surprises that emerge in the mixing of the elements too much to deny that therein lies my focus and passion when it comes to gin. However, the Nolet’s Reserve gin, on its own, is legendarily delectable. In my humble opinion, it is deserving of the mysticism that surrounds its existence, and it is worthy of a price tag that accurately reflects its rarity. Sip on.