Seedlip Spice 94

Seedlip created the field of distilled non-alcohol spirits. When they launched in 2015 their first issue sold out in weeks, their second in days, and their third then hours as word spread. If your pub stocks one distilled non-alcoholic drink, it’s likely to be a Seedlip. They bushwhacked a path that dozens of distilled no alcohol producers are now following. And it all started with this drink, Seedlip Spice.
Cautiously, they don’t give any specific ingredients on the bottle, just ‘Natural botanical distillates and Extracts 15%’. Their maker’s notes mention only warm spice notes. When I dip my nose into the bottle, I get the warmth of clove surrounded by citrus notes. It’s a friendly smell, perhaps just a little too strong on the spice. Let’s see if tonic will mellow it all down.
To be honest, it still comes over as very strongly clove-based. I love clove, so I’m not complaining but I am finding it a tiny bit narrow in its taste, although with a pleasing bitterness; ideally I would have liked more range and complexity in the flavourings. Perhaps, however, it’s done with such finish that I’m not even picking up the individual notes as much as the complex whole. I’d certainly keep this in my cupboard, and pleasingly it says there is no need to refrigerate and the bottle will last up to six months – so many producers only give a shelf life of 90 days.