Tinkerman's Curiously Bright and Complex Gin 750ml

Curiously Bright and Complex is one of three gins in the Tinkerman's line, made by Brian Prewitt — "the tinkerer" himself — Master Distiller at A. Smith Bowman Distillery, the Virginia operation often called Buffalo Trace's sister distillery. What sets the entire Tinkerman's line apart, right from the label, is a genuinely unusual level of transparency: it states plainly that the gin is made from 100% American grain, discloses a majority of the botanical bill, and includes fairly specific distillation notes that shift from release to release — a rare degree of openness for a category that often keeps its recipes tightly guarded.

Production combines both maceration and vapor distillation methods, and where the line's Citrus Supreme leans fruit-forward, Curiously Bright and Complex takes the opposite direction: heavier juniper emphasis right from the first sniff, built around a genuinely distinctive, Asian-fusion-inspired botanical bill drawing on green tea, ginger, and lemongrass. Tastings.com awarded a genuine 92 Points to this expression, a real vote of confidence from an independent scoring body.

Independent reviewers land in honestly different places, and both perspectives are worth sharing. The Gin Is In's detailed tasting found "warm jasmine green tea and resiny angular juniper" jutting from the glass, "mildly perfumed, with a hint of lemon in the background," developing on the palate into "ginger and orange early," followed by "a strong lemongrass note just before the mid-palate," with "lime leaves flowing into bay and earthier hints of green tea, with just a touch of cinnamon and cassia," concluding it's "a solid Martini gin" that pairs especially well with vermouth. Rajib Roy's independent review, by contrast, came away genuinely disappointed relative to expectations: "with green tea, ginger and lemongrass, I was expecting a very different gin. I cannot say it met those expectations... on the nose, it was more citrusy. The palate was pretty flat juniper. I was hoping to get some tea, ginger and the bite of lemongrass in the nose and palate. Did not get that," concluding he'd "wait for a few more years till they have figured out a better way to get the botanicals to have a stronger say." Both reviews agree the gin drinks best in cocktails rather than as a simple sipper — a genuinely interesting, ambitious gin whose specific botanical balance seems to land differently depending on the palate tasting it.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Tinkerman's Curiously Bright and Complex Gin is produced by A. Smith Bowman Distillery in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, a Sazerac-owned operation often referred to as Buffalo Trace's sister distillery, under Master Distiller Brian Prewitt. It's one of three gins in the distillery's Tinkerman's line, distinguished by an unusually transparent approach to labeling — disclosing 100% American grain sourcing, a majority of the botanical bill, and specific distillation notes that vary from release to release.

The gin is produced using a combination of maceration and vapor distillation methods, built around a heavier juniper emphasis than its Citrus Supreme sibling, layered with jasmine green tea, ginger, lemon, lemongrass, lime leaf, bay, cinnamon, and cassia. Bottled at 46% ABV / 92 proof.

Critics Reviews

Tastings.com — 92 Points (March 1, 2018)

The Gin Is In (extended independent review):
"Curiously Bright and Complex has a heavier juniper emphasis than its citrus version, especially at first aroma. Warm jasmine green tea and resiny angular juniper juts from the glass. Mildly perfumed, a hint of lemon exists in the background as well. Pleasant and suggestively herbal and classic to the nose. The palate of Curiously Bright and Complex gives you a lot more of that Asian spice feel, without veering too far from the tropes of classic style gin. Ginger and orange early, it immediately gets a strong lemongrass note just before the mid-palate. There's a leafy green character to the citrus that becomes evident here as well, as well as bright juniper. Lime leaves flow into bay and earthier hints of green tea with just a touch of cinnamon and cassia. The finish has a modicum of warmth, juniper fades with a jasmine facet. It's a solid Martini gin — if you're looking for that hint of ginger and tea in there."

Craft Gins Co. (official tasting note):
"Optimistically exotic and floral on the nose. Warm jasmine green tea and resiny angular juniper juts from the glass. Mildly perfumed, a hint of lemon exists in the background as well. Wakes up the palate with its fresh, bright attitude. Asian fusion influence inspires a delicate finish. Curiously Bright and Complex is crisp, sharp and camphorous."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Optimistically exotic and floral, with warm jasmine green tea and resiny, angular juniper leading, mildly perfumed with a hint of lemon in the background. Some tastings find a more straightforwardly citrusy nose.

Palate
Ginger and orange open, developing quickly into a strong lemongrass note, with leafy green citrus character and bright juniper. Lime leaves flow into bay and earthier green tea, with a touch of cinnamon and cassia.

Finish
A modicum of warmth, with juniper fading into a jasmine facet — crisp, sharp, and camphorous. Reasonable length, well-suited to cocktail application.

Quick Overview

Cocktail Suggestions

Martini
2.5 oz Tinkerman's Curiously Bright and Complex · dry vermouth to taste — the ginger and tea character genuinely complements vermouth, per independent tasting.

Gin & Tonic
Serve over ice with premium tonic and a lime leaf or lemongrass garnish to echo the gin's own botanical profile.