Often in gin there is a lot of talk of provenance. The ingredients you use have a big impact on the spirit you create. From the base spirit itself, to the botanicals, to the still you use, and the process, all the way up to bottling.
In few is that more evident than in the Old Curiosity Distillery Gins. Though I’ve sampled their gins a couple of times at trade related events, my first real experience of them was a few weeks ago at Randall & Aubin’s oyster and gin tasting. We learned about their history and their creation.
Their home is just outside Edinburgh in a Gin Garden that features over 600 plants and herbs used in products (candles, beer, wine) and by local restaurants. There’s a garden centre and cafe. And a distillery.
Yes you can visit, yes there are tasting sessions, yes it’s on my list. No, you maybe shouldn’t take the car.
As you’d expect with access to such a wide variety of botanicals, there are a number of gins they have created. I’ve reviewed six here, but there’s also a newly released Christmas Gin, and a limited edition Damask Rose.
Each gin uses botanicals from the gardens which are picked when they’re at their most potent and dried ahead of use. These are added to a base gin made with juniper, coriander (both the seeds and the berries are lightly crushed), angelica root and leaf and winter savory.
The result is totally unique. Not only are the flavours delightful (especially as I love floral notes anyway), but some of the gins, as you’ll see, naturally change colour when you add tonic. Their natural colour changes when the ph level changes, meaning they react with the citric acid in the tonic water.
But enough waffle, we’ve six gins to get through. Let’s get started.
Lemon Verbena:
Neat, the nose is very well balanced, doesn’t give much away, juniper, coriander, soft citrus. The palate is soft lemon, touch of sherbet, green and fresh. Would be delightful in a Martini.
In a G&T there’s soft citrus on the nose, and the palate is similar with a good bite of juniper, citrus, and herbal notes. Soft, enjoyable. Easy going.
Apothecary Rose:
Possibly my favourite. Neat the nose has juniper at the back, bu nose is juniper and the rose leaps out at you, balanced by a little citrus. Palate is delightfully rosey. Slight sweetness, but not syrupy.
G&T, rose is softened, more powdery, but just as lovely. Still got a good juniper backbone, soft citrus. Delish.
Chamomile & Cornflower
The first of our colour changing gins, the natural blue from the cornflour turns pink when you add tonic. Neat this has lots of soft florals, the cornflower adds a sweetness, and you can easily pick out the chamomile at the top. Juniper is much softer in this gin. The palate is full of florals, and a hint of pepper, then a greenness sits across the palate and on the finish.
In a G&T, again the chamomile sits above the citrus from the tonic, and the other florals. The palate is a blend of the two, and those green peppery notes are softened.
Pink Elderflower & Jasmine
Neat, I almost want to dab it behind my ears. I love this one. Acidity sits at the back. Palate is rich, slightly punchy and peppery. There’s no overpowering sweetness to this gin, unlike a number of gins featuring elderflower. This in a French 75 would be fabulously elegant.
In a G&T, the florals of the jasmine are opened up on the nose – you almost just want to sit with your nose in the glass. The palate is the same, the florals are softer, but more honeyed, the soft lemon of the coriander and juniper cutting through, stopping it being too cloying.
Lavender and Echinacea
The second of the colour changing gins, neat the nose has soft lavender and juniper. The palate is richer, almost syrupy, yet despite that the lavender doesn’t dominate, it’s merely part of the gin. More like a gin that happens to contain lavender than a lavender gin.
In a G&T, the lavender is soft, on the nose, this is probably the most ginny of them all, classic G&T flavours, plus a soft lavender element. Unlike others that a powerful and oily, this is soft and gentle. Almost powdery.
Geranium and Mallow
OK, maybe three of their gins are my favourite? Neat this has fruity florals, palate is richly floral, almost too much, but not quite. Definitely one i’d wear (any chance of a fragrance?).
In a G&T it’s softly florally sweet, but just gorgeous. Very moreish, a gentle almost fruity acidity sits above the juniper and the tonic.
The connection that these gins have to their home is evident in every sip – and so it should be. Now. Does anyone fancy a road trip?
