Empirical Symphony 6
Empirical Symphony 6 is a 40% ABV (80 proof) spirit in a 750mL bottle from Copenhagen's Empirical, built around six fragrant, underused leaves and botanicals: mandarin, lemon, coffee, black currant and fig leaves, elevated by ambrette seeds and vetiver roots. Launched alongside Soka in early 2023, it is Empirical's study in aromatic, tea-like complexity — a spirit that reads closer to a fragrant botanical infusion than to any familiar category. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 40% (80 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Botanicals: mandarin, lemon, coffee, black currant leaf, fig leaf, ambrette seed, vetiver root
- Origin: Copenhagen, Denmark
- Production: botanical-distilled spirit; launched January 2023
Six Botanicals, No Familiar Category
Where most flavored spirits start from a classic template, Symphony 6 starts from a sense memory and works backward — citrus leaves, coffee, fig, and vetiver blended into something green, aromatic, and faintly tea-like. Co-founder Lars Williams described the pair of 2023 releases as connecting "a sense memory or a landscape to a flavour experience," and this is the fragrant half of that idea: mandarin and lemon brightness over black currant and fig leaf depth, with ambrette's musky warmth and vetiver's earthy dryness underneath. See more boundary-pushing bottles in the liqueur collection or everything from Empirical at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Press coverage describes a fragrant, aromatic spirit: citrus brightness from mandarin and lemon, green depth from black currant and fig leaves, coffee warmth, and a musky-earthy backbone of ambrette seed and vetiver.
How to Enjoy
Over ice to let the aromatics open, in a highball with tonic or soda, or as the botanical engine of a gin-style cocktail where its leaf-driven character takes the lead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "Symphony 6" mean?
The six key botanicals: mandarin, lemon, coffee, black currant leaf, fig leaf — plus ambrette seeds and vetiver roots lifting the blend.
Is it a gin?
No — Empirical doesn't classify it as gin; it's a botanical spirit in its own experimental category.
When was it released?
January 2023, alongside Empirical's Soka.
For drinkers who have tried everything, here is something genuinely new — order Empirical Symphony 6 online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.