Launched by Spencerfield Spirit Co in June 2010, Edinburgh gin is part of the new wave of distilled gins adding interest and premium tastes to a revitalized and ever growing category.
Edinburgh Gin is an attempt to nod to the days when the city of Edinburgh was a hub of northern distilling expertise. In 1777 there were eight licensed distilleries and reputedly, almost 400 illegal stills in Edinburgh and the Port of Leith. As gin rose to become the fashionable spirit of the era in both England and Scotland, Edinburgh distillers, like their London counterparts, produced gin from both locally sourced ingredients and exotic botanicals from around the world.
Produced in small batches, Edinburgh Gin starts life south of the border in a 200 year old Scottish copper pot still affectionately named “Jenny”, in which the finest Scottish grain spirit is distilled together with the classic gin botanicals, such as juniper, coriander, citrus peel, angelica and orris root. It is then shipped back up to Scotland and a selection of uniquely Scottish botanicals are added such as pine heather and milk thistle. Bottled at 43% ABV, Edinburgh Gin has a full juniper hit complemented with heathery notes following on, imparted by its particularly Scottish twist. Tasted neat, there seems to be a lot of spiced notes coming to fore (no bad thing) giving the gin a warm feel, yet its quality shines through as it still retains its smooth qualities.
The bottle continues with the Scottish theme and is a visibly descended from the Scottish Art Deco movement during gins glory days in the 1920’s. Overall Edinburgh Gin offers a enjoyable alternative to other more familiar brands available on the shelf and continues the good work set out by Hendrick’s, Coarunn and to a certain extent Blackwood’s as establishing Scotland as a producer of premium gin brands.
Established in 2005 Spencerfield Spirit Co. is owned by Alex and Jane Nicol, spirit specialists behind the success of Sheep Dip and Pig’s Nose whiskies. A small company based on a farm on the banks of the Firth of Forth just outside Edinburgh, Edinburgh Gin is the latest addition to a portfolio of niche luxury spirit brands with Spencerfield Spirit Co. seemingly specialising in reviving orphan spirits brands on the verge of extinction.
With the unveiling of a contract to supply Edinburgh Gin in Waitrose, the team are finishing 2011 on a high and have set the ground work for an ambitious 2012. The small batch variation of Edinburgh Gin (infused with Perthshire raspberries) goes someway to showing that the team don’t rest on their laurels and will continue to innovate and grow. We expect to see a lot more of Alex & Co over the years ahead and for the Spencerfield Spirit company to go from strength to strength.
To find out more about Edinburgh Gin, visit their website:
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