CAORUNN GIN

Nestled in the Speyside region of the beautiful Scottish Highlands and situated along the banks of the River Spey is Balmenach Distillery. As well as being a whisky distillery with a spectacularly scenic backdrop of the Cairgorm National Park, it is also home of award-winning Caorunn Gin and the Caorunn Gin Distillery. Hand-crafted in small batches and pronounced ‘ka-roon’, this specialised gin is inspired by the Gaelic word for the humble Rowan berry. Sacred in Celtic legend, it is one of five unique Celtic botanicals that are at the heart of this amazing gin and if you take a walk through their botanical gardens, you will be able to spot the gin’s key ingredients.

Shining through in a region more famous for its whisky, Caorunn is the only gin to be distilled in the world’s only working Copper Berry Chamber. Created in the US in the 1920’s, this chamber was originally used to extract essential oils as a base to create perfumes but using this unique slow distillation process to craft gin makes Caorunn a stand-out product, setting it apart from other brands. Harnessing Scotland’s unique natural resources, this gin has been expertly handcrafted since 2009 in small batches by Gin Master, Simon Buley. The highest quality pure grain spirit and crystal-clear Scottish water are married with 6 traditional and 5 Celtic handpicked botanicals from surrounding hills. As well as the rowan berry, the other four foraged Celtic botanicals also include dandelion, heather, coul blush apple and bog myrtle and can be found within a ten-minute walk of the distillery. These are then paired with the traditional six botanicals consisting of juniper, coriander seed, lemon peel, cassia bark, orange peel and angelica root to create Caorunn’s genius recipe.

This clever gin distillation ensures the botanicals are distilled slowly in the Copper Berry Chamber where this process allows for maximum flavour to be extracted and infused as evenly as possible. This round copper berry chamber contains four large trays on which the botanicals are spread. As the vapour passes through the trays it picks up the flavours of all the botanicals in a long, slow process and when it cools and returns to liquid which is now gin, the botanicals are firmly embedded in the spirit. Working by reacting with the fragrances of the botanicals a perfectly balanced, wellrounded quadruple distilled modern London dry gin is created and served with apple, the result is a stand-out crisp, mouthwateringly refreshing gin which, since it is only ever distilled in small batches, ensures that every drop tastes as delicious as the first. The taste is clean, sweet, full-bodied, and aromatic with a fresh long-lasting dry finish. caorunngin.com

This spring, iconic Balmenach Distillery reopened its doors to the public and visitors are invited to experience the distilling process first-hand. If you ever needed an excuse to visit this hidden gem in the Scottish Highlands, this is it. Distillery Manager since 2014, Kevin Macpherson and his team endeavor to treat guests to an intimate and personal Scottish Gin experience where they can learn more about the Copper Berry Chamber production process and their local Gin Geniuses will take you through what goes into making this gin so unique.

After a behind-the-scenes look at the distillery, guests can experience a tutored deconstructed nosing and tasting session which gives them the chance to explore and discover more about the botanicals along with a neat tasting of Caorunn Gin.

As well as the classic, Caorunn’s strongest portfolio member is Scottish Gin Awards 2022 winner for Best High Strength Gin, the Caorunn Highland Strength which at 54% alcohol by volume (ABV) enhances the dry, crisp, taste of Caorunn to create a peppery, fruity, herbaceous gin with a strong juniper character which is best served over ice with Indian tonic water, garnished with red apple slices and orange oil. Due to the higher strength in alcohol, this gin lends itself perfectly to mixed drinks and cocktails.

A firm favourite from the distillery is Caorunn Scottish Raspberry Gin which was awarded Gold in the World Gin Awards 2022 category for Best Scottish Flavoured Gin. Combining the invigorating dry, crisp taste of Caorunn and enhanced by a natural raspberry sweetness, this is best served over ice with Indian tonic water garnished with fresh raspberries and red apple slices. This delicious flavour expression is the quintessential choice of tipple for all gin lovers out there.

Another winner is the Carounn Blood Orange gin which was awarded the Scottish Gin Awards 2022 - Best Citrus Gin and is a perfect blend of indulgence and flavour which, as well as the natural blood orange, has an added hint of chilli essence to create a vibrant, refreshing, and fruity gin. The taste is sweet and elegant with a spicy, floral warmth that doesn’t contain any artificial flavours or colourings or any added sugar and is best served with Indian tonic water and a slice of orange.

The tour is finished with a refreshing perfect serve of Caorunn and tonic with a slice of red apple.

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