We previously knocked GrandTen’s outing for an Irish/Boston Whisky, but this time it’s all American baby – and it’s worse. The name wire works here evokes more of an image of a copper scrubber with this as the cleaning solution more than a copper still, and to be honest it’s not a great image to have. The worse image this conjures up though is in it’s first line asking if you’re tired of British colonization which – jeez guys – that’s a loaded question for a gin.
It’s always unclear why some gins have this sort of ‘slime’ factor that provides such a weird sensation when consuming – and at least in most cases a bit of ice/tonic/juice can sort it out. The only reason we can fathom is that for the most part – no one is expecting people to drink gin neat outside of drunks or high-class buyers.
What they Say: “Tired of being colonized by dry British gins? Then Wire Works Gin is for you. Forged on the site of a 19th century South Boston iron foundry, Wire Works is an American gin, crafted in the age-old tradition of quality our grandfathers knew and respected. Whether your grandfather wore a tailored three-piece suit or worked with calloused hands, he valued the dedication to hard work necessary to make high-quality products. We suspect that like your grandfather, you also know quality and appreciate a special drink when the work is done. Wire Works Gin is well suited for the classic martini or can be enjoyed straight on the rocks.”
Taste: 5.0 – It starts off sort of sweets and juniper flavored – it’s overall quite nice.
Aftertaste: 3.0 – Then it gets a weird slimy gin slick feeling that honestly is comparable to New Amsterdam. But overall it’s just not great.
Burn/Smooth: 3.0 – There’s a bit of burn there, but the main problem is this is just not a smooth sipper – that aftertaste plus the burn just make this an ordeal to drink neat.
Aroma: 5.5 – Certainly has some harshness amongst the junipers, but overall it’s not horrendous.
Honesty: 4.0 – WHY DO YOU CARE SO MUCH ABOUT MY POP POP. Honestly, they don’t gain many points here aside from called shots on the mixers, and lose a bunch with what seems to be a hyper weird grandpa fixation. Take your hipster-esque bullshit and fuck off.
Mixability: 5.83
W/ Rocks: 6.5 – You know, that is remarkably improved over the neat. It’s not exactly the best sipper, but it’s really quite nice.
Gin and Tonic: 5.0 – This is fine. It’s okay. It’s what you would expect.
Martini: 6.0 – There are certainly much better options for a gin to use in a martini, and this isn’t stellar here. However, it gets the job done and with aplomb. Sure it’s just okay, but considering other gins that’s actually worth points given how many fail.
Value: 2.5 – In no way. I mean honestly there’s much better options for gin in that 30-40 range that this doesn’t even come close to justifying it’s value.
Google Shop Average: $32
Website: https://grandten.com/
Reviewer Scores:
BuffaloJern: 4.0
Want to compare this spirit against our archives? Visit our statistics page.
Metric Score: 28.83/70 |+| Metric Average: 4.11 |+| Reviewer Average: 4.0
New to Honest Booze Reviews, or just wondering how we score? See our FAQ/Review Policy.
Final Thoughts: This would have been a 3, but because of them recommending a martini and rocks and it actually being palpable there is the sole reason. Unfortunately as is too often the case with small-batch distillery spirits the quality can vary, but the price is always high. So you just hope for the times when the cost actually pays off, but not today.
