All products were chosen independently by our editorial team. This review contains affiliate links, powered by Skimlinks and Monetizer , and we may receive a commission for purchases made. Please read our FAQ page to find out more. Sloe gin, that most traditional of British liqueurs, is in fine fettle at the moment. There are producers big and small putting out excellent bottles, including some intriguing variations on the drink we think we know.
Now is a great time to reacquaint yourself with the fruit of the blackthorn. No surprise that with such a base this sloe gin is perfumed on the nose, with delicate floral hints alongside the juniper before the sloe, plum and almond notes come in. Starting sweetly and finishing drier, this delightful number really wants a good nosing. Set up in their north London home by Ian Hart and his partner Hilary Whitney in , Sacred are a committedly intimate outfit.
Utilising vacuum distillation in small volumes, Hart is able to extract the essence of the botanicals without heating them, a process he believes retains more flavour. Resting the resultant gin and ageing sloes in it for, a frankly ludicrous, 30 months before adding an extra boost of juniper pre-bottling results in an extraordinarily intense, spicy, sloe gin. The juniper makes itself known first with a pine-y edge, before the sloes whack in rich and jammy. A long finish sees you out with marzipan and notes of orange zest.
The other differentiator for the base dry gin used is fresh local mint. As for their sloe gin, marzipan leads into cherry and plum on the nose, while the juniper and botanicals keep everything in check. Finally, it should be balanced, neither overly sweet — an all-too-common sin — or mouth-puckeringly tart. All our gins were first tasted neat, side by side, by a panel of four drinks-industry professionals who evaluated them overall on taste, look and price point.
Then we tasted them again, within a common price bracket, to ensure each was good value and delivered a sloe gin experience worth savouring. That delicious balance between sweet and tart is partly to thank, as is the distinct orange peel note.
But, it is seriously tasty. Part of that will be down to the mix of fruit: the distillery uses wild damsons as well as sloes in the mix. It will also be the first-rate base spirit, produced from characterful, organic, ancient heritage grains. But it is also down to skilful spirit making and careful ageing. Sip it neat, with a decadent cheeseboard at the end of a meal.
While it still contains classic sloe berries hawthorn loves a cooler climate, so Scandinavia is perfect , it has a totally different flavour profile to classic British pours. Fan of jam tarts? The palate follows suit with juicy fruit sweetness and almond nuttiness, and a zip of acidity gives the whole thing a clean finish.
The sloes come from hedgerows near the Leicestershire-based distillery, so you could say this is an authentic taste of the Midlands. Sometimes you just want a good old-fashioned sloe gin. And this bottling nails it. And, it warms the cockles on a frigid day, without being knee-wobblingly boozy. Over the years the distillery has won plenty of awards, and the appeal is obvious. Native to the subtropical region around Byron Bay — where the gin is made — the plum is an Aussie bushfood delicacy, with its sharp acidity and sour-fruity flavour.
Hayman's sloe gin. Monkey 47 Schwarzwald sloe gin. William's sloe gin with mulberry. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano. More From Gin.
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This one could stand up to neat sipping before or after dinner, but you should also try it in place of amari in drinks like a Black Manhattan. One Supercall staffer habitually sips this California-based sloe gin at Christmas, but after our taste test, other team members may take up the tradition.
Dry and heavily spiced like a wintertime mulled wine, this sloe gin bursts with cinnamon and nutmeg. The taste is dry and herbal with a lot of tang and boozy heat to balance the sweetness. A touch of bitterness rounds out the profile, making this a balanced, mature choice for winter sipping. Spirit Works rests their festively spiced sloe gin in newly charred American oak for several months to create this mellower rendition.
The wood tempers the spice and acidity of the younger sibling, returning much of the fruit to the liqueur, which tastes of raspberry, blackberry and sweet pine—though the baking spices make a surprise return on the finish. Sip this one straight.
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