The first thing you think of when you mention Scotland, in relation to drinks, is whisky, and for obvious reasons. With over 150 distilleries producing some of the finest whiskies in the world, there’s a good reason for this hand-in-glove association.
So, when we were sent details of a gin produced in Scotland and, more interestingly at a whisky distillery, we were intrigued.
Caorunn Gin is hand-crafted in a malt whisky distillery, produced with 11 botanicals, five of which are foraged locally, and they’re all distilled slowly in the world’s only working copper Berry Chamber.
This remarkable piece of equipment, dating back to the 1920s, is used to infuse the flavours of the botanicals as evenly as possible.
The company only distils in small batches, which has been at the heart of the company’s philosophy since they starting producing gin in 2009, at Balmenach Distillery in the Speyside region of the Scottish Highlands.
Their brand name, Caorunn {which we were told is pronounced ‘ka-roon’}, was inspired by the Gaelic word for ‘Rowan Berry’ – one of five unique Celtic botanicals that are at the heart of their gin, including dandelion, heather, Coul blush apple and bog myrtle.
The company suggests that Caorunn is best served with a quality tonic, ice and slices of red apple, but here at Hand Crafted Drinks Magazine we sample all spirits neat and over ice so that the true character shines through.
In the case of Caorunn I would gladly order a case of this unique, ultra-smooth London dry gin. Whilst this gin would be equally at home with a quality mixer, ice and a garnish, or in gin-based cocktails, we would choose this as a a serious challenger to whisky as a nightcap, without the addition of anything except a cube or two or ice.
Now in their 15th year of production, the company has a growing base of loyal customers and a dedicated team of skilled distillers and a very bright future.
For more information visit their website