Gintelligence...with Fiona Holland

Keeping those bees busy - the north-east’s heather bounty

Vesperis Pictish Gin and Vesperis Orange Old Tom from Blackford Distillery

Let’s face it, Scotland does not have a shortage of heather and it is one of those plants which we often associate with autumnal purple hills, glowing in the vanishing sun. An image straight from the canvas of an atmospheric Victorian painting – perhaps with a highland cow and some mist thrown in for good measure.

In this sustainable world, where everything from clothing to packaging, furniture to food is forensically picked over (quite rightly) to ensure it treads as softly as possible on our vulnerable earth, heather from right outside your door, combined with fresh local spring water surely must tick these boxes.

I’m not sure at all, whether Neil and Katie Sime had this level of sustainability on their minds when they created their Vesperis stable of spirits in 2017, but it certainly doesn’t do them any harm now.

For, as you will have gathered, Ling heather and the sumptuous honey it produces are the key botanicals in Blackford Craft Distillery’s Vesperis Pictish Gin, which tips a nod to the ancient mead production in the area by the afore-mentioned ancestors at its site in Rothienorman near Inverurie.

Now, honey is not actually that unusual as an addition to quite a number of Scottish gins, and one does pretty much know exactly what it is going to do to the flavour – but cut through it with some apple and a strong juniper lead and it gains an identity of its own.

On the nose, I found this gin enticing. Produced in small batches, that heather blossom, heather honey, apple zestiness and the punch of juniper created a complex floral burst with pine overtones and a citrus follow.

It is very definitely a classic dry gin, despite its reliance on some quite sweet flavourings and when tasted neat, it provided a velvety smoothness on the tongue mixed with a herby nectar note.

Nicely balanced, nothing overpowers in this spirit, and it is actually quite light – though, being 40 per cent ABV, it is at the lower alcohol end of many of the craft gins we have now become used to.

With tonic added, and a tiny sliver of lime – this time I used Cushiedoos’ premium tonic from Edinburgh – it becomes relaxing and refreshing. I did this tasting at the height of Storm Dennis, but what the gin left me with was overtones of a summer’s day sitting in the sun, thanks to its floral array.

New to the Vesperis brand, is its Orange Old Tom Gin at 37.5 per cent, which will be released this spring, so my early sample really is hot off the press.

Those who have previously followed this column, will know that I’m not necessarily mad for some Old Tom gins, really because of its explicit sweetness. But, I take all of these as they come and enjoy each for its own flavour, regardless of the gin moniker.

In the case of this one, it says orange on the label and it delivers what it promises on the nose – but there’s also a little more, with a subtle spiciness, which helps it along.

Take a sip and the sweetness is certainly what first grabs one, but there is also a mild clove after taste, which I wasn’t expecting – and rolling it in your mouth is perhaps a little like sucking your favourite boiled sweet. Yes, there is a soupcon of juniper there, but overall it seems to lack a bit of body and enduring taste, and I’m left feeling a little short-changed. The 37.5 per cent alcohol, is quite light, though, and not everyone likes a punchy drink, so I will mitigate the above sentiments by acknowledging its perhaps broader appeal.

Again with Cushiedoos added, though, something ginny seems to have happened. Don’t get me wrong, this still has a sweetness to it, but the juniper has suddenly popped up stronger than in some Old Toms and it has transformed the cocktail into an eminently suppable, faintly spicy, zingy mixture with a hint of rosemary. Who’d have though it?

All in all, both of these spirits have surprised me, the first for skilfully blending the floral blossom, sweet honey, the tricky acidity in apples and earthy juniper into a balanced and very drinkable mix. And the second, for making me actually notice more than a hint of juniper in an Old Tom, which was much appreciated.