The Nolet Distillery has operated in Schiedam since 1691, in the Dutch town where gin originates, and remains in family hands. The Reserve is the personal project of Carolus Nolet Sr., the tenth-generation owner, and is built around two named botanicals: saffron, cultivated by hand from the threads inside the crocus flower and the most expensive spice in the world by weight, and verbena, which brings a delicate citrus quality. Other botanicals are used and the distillery does not publish them, so the recipe is only partly known by design. Botanicals in this style of production are distilled or macerated separately and combined afterwards, allowing full control over each contribution. The gin is bottled at 52.3% ABV — considerably above standard gin strength, consistent with a spirit meant to be drunk neat. Carolus Sr. tastes and approves every batch before bottling, bottles are numbered by hand, and release is by annual allocation.

Every bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authentic, sealed product and inspected before it ships. Orders are packed with padded, glass-rated handling and require an adult signature (21+) on delivery; we do not ship to anyone unable to verify legal drinking age. For our full sourcing and handling protocols, see our editorial and authentication standards.

What botanicals are in NOLET'S Reserve gin?

NOLET'S names two: saffron, harvested by hand from the crocus flower and the most expensive spice in the world, and verbena, which contributes a light citrus character. Other botanicals are used but the distillery has not published them. That balance is deliberate — the Reserve is built so that saffron and verbena sit in front of the juniper rather than behind it, which is unusual for a dry gin.

Is NOLET'S Reserve gin meant to be sipped or mixed?

It is made as a sipping gin. NOLET'S bottles it at 52.3% ABV, well above the strength of a mixing gin, and describes it as intended for savouring rather than for cocktails. The saffron and verbena that define it are the first things a strong mixer will cover, so a tonic or a vermouth works against the reason to own the bottle.

Who makes NOLET'S gin?

The Nolet Distillery in Schiedam, Holland, which has been distilling since 1691 and is still owned by the Nolet family. The Reserve is the personal creation of Carolus Nolet Sr., the tenth-generation owner, who tastes and approves each batch before bottling. The same family created Ketel One vodka, which is the name most people recognise first.