Knut Hansen Vatnajökull

Volume: 0.5 litres | Alcohol content: 44% | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Icelandic botanicals and gentle vacuum distillation define this special edition from Knut Hansen, created in collaboration with Hovdenak Distillery in Iceland. Its ingredients include Arctic thyme, reindeer moss, crowberries and kelp. Reduced pressure lowers the boiling temperature, allowing the botanicals to be distilled with less heat and helping preserve their delicate aromas. The gin also uses Icelandic water filtered through volcanic rock.

The 2023 edition takes its name from the Vatnajökull glacier and comprises 3,000 bottles. A portion of the proceeds supports the Iceland Nature Conservation Association and its work to protect Iceland’s glaciers. The beige ceramic bottle features a blue-and-black glacier illustration, with Icelandic artist Hlíf Una Bárdóttir contributing to the design. The gin is offered at 44% in bottles containing 0.5 litres.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Crowberries and blackcurrants lead the fruity nose. Arctic thyme adds herbal notes, accompanied by an impression of cold volcanic rock.
• Palate: Crowberries, blackcurrants and wild blueberries take centre stage on the palate. Arctic thyme adds floral and herbal accents, while the seaweed Palmaria palmata contributes a salty note.
• Finish: The gin has a long, gentle finish.

Distillery/Bottler:

Knut Hansen was founded by Hamburg friends Kaspar Hagedorn and Martin Spieker. Their first experiments took place in 2016 using a tabletop still in Martin’s living room. The following year, the first commercial batch was produced at Dolleruper Destille. Their own Arnold Holstein distillation system followed in Hamburg in 2019, and the brand has produced in Hamburg Hamm since 2021. Alongside the classic dry gin, special editions form part of the concept, with recipes developed through travel and collaboration with local partners.

For the Vatnajökull Edition, the team collaborated with Hovdenak Distillery. Founded in 2018, this family distillery is located in Hafnarfjörður, Iceland, and is run by Hákon Hovdenak and Brynja Hjaltalín. Hákon oversees production and designed and built most of the largely automated equipment himself. The distillery uses vacuum distillation and geothermally heated water to supply heat.

Facts: