This is another high quality Scottish gin.

It’s made in Balmenach, a distillery located in the whisky heartlands of Speyside.

The flavour profile is unusual and refreshing, with locally foraged botanicals including rowan berries and heather.

It also contains bog myrtle, which stood out in particular for me, giving it a flavour reminiscent of Swedish akvavit.

The gin is distilled in small batches in a copper berry chamber, which apparently distributes the flavours more evenly.

I like the rustic, simple branding.

It’s a nice, weighty bottle with glass that also looks attractive when it’s been kept in the freezer.

In martini form it has a beautiful dry assortment of flavours, which I was told went well with a grapefruit garnish.

I managed to pick up a fresh grapefruit on a trip to the mainland (Oban, a beautiful town in the Scottish Highlands).

The peel of the fruit added a very nice, sharp sweetness to the dry, cold drink which I thought married very well.

However, as much as I love grapefruit, a little goes a long way. It certainly made the martini taste delicious but it crowded out some of the more subtle botanicals of the Caorunn.

As such, I made a second martini with only a coin-sized piece of grapefruit peel which seemed ample as a complement to the drink’s flavour profile. It also works perfectly well with a garnish of lemon peel. Olives would also work but I would rather serve them on the side rather than putting too much on the already delicate flavour profile of the drink.

In gin and tonic form, the distillers recommend serving it with a slice of apple. This added a light refreshing flavour without overpowering the subtle botanicals with too much citrus.

All in all, this is a beautiful, smooth gin with plenty of subtle complexity and a nice bottle. It’s thoroughly recommended and supports the continued success of Scottish gins in the competitive marketplace.

Slàinte mhath!