Plymouth Gin

Cellars: £32.00

THE IDEAL SERVE

Serve on Ice with a splash of sparkling water and a twist of lemon

Country: England

Region: Plymouth - Devon

Distillery: Black Friars Distillery

Producer: Coates and Co

Allergens: Not known

Bottle size: 70cl

abv:  41.4%

Distillery Information

Although Plymouth Gin is made in exactly the same way as London Gin, it is the only UK gin to have a geographic designation a bit like an appellation controllee – the result of a series of legal decisions in the 1880s when London distillers began producing a Plymouth gin. Coates & Co established then that, legally Plymouth Gin could only be made within Plymouth’s city walls.

A higher than usual proportion of root ingredients is the source of Plymouth’s distinctive earthy aromas. It has seven botanicals – juniper, coriander, sweet orange, cardamom, angelica and orris root that are redistilled with pure grain spirit. Elegant in the mouth with luscious marshmallow and hints of sage and eucalyptus it has a subtle, full bodied flavour with no bitter botanicals and not nearly as much of a juniper hit as some gins. Sweet orange and cardamom impart a softly fruity, spicy finish. Pure water from Dartmoor contributes to Plymouth Gin’s exceptionally clean and fresh flavour.

In the early nineteenth century Plymouth, London, Bristol, Warrington and Norwich were the great gin distilling centres each with their own unique gins. Gradually the London Dry style came to dominate but the gin made in Plymouth retained its own distinctively aromatic character. Produced in a still, which has not been changed for over 150 years, it has a subtle, full bodied flavour with no bitter botanicals.

Plymouth Gin has a long history. The Black Friars Distillery in Plymouth, where it is made, dates back to at least 1793 and there is reason to believe that distilling may have been carried out on these premises much earlier. Certainly Black Friars can rightly claim to be the oldest working distillery in the UK. The building is also reputed to have been the place where the Pilgrim Fathers gathered before they set off in the Mayflower for America in 1620.

Botanicals

Lemon Peel - Light, bright and sharp. Citrus peel is used, rather than the fruit as it contains more valuable oils. Lemon oil is refreshing, with many ancient medicinal applications. It contributes fresh citrus flavour and enhances its dryness.

Orange Peel - Soft rounded citrus flavours. The peel from oranges from southern Spain . The dried peel releases an oil that is mildly sedative and is used as an anti depressant.

Orris Root - Orris is the fragrant root of the Iris plant grown in Italy. It smells of sweet violets, used in talcum powder and potpourri mixes. Ground to a fine powder it imparts earthy, rooty tastes and like angelica helps to bind the flavours of the other botanicals.

Plymouth Naval Strength Gin

Cellars: £47.50

THE IDEAL SERVE

As a traditional Gin and tonic

Country: England

Region: Plymouth - Devon

Distillery: Black Friars Distillery

Producer: Coates and Co

Allergens: Not known

Bottle size: 70cl

abv:  57%

Distillery Information

If it burnt with a clear blue flame this was ‘proof’ that no water had been added. Failure to light or a smoky flame were sure signs that the spirit had been adulterated. Eventually ‘proof’ became 100 degrees proof, a completely illogical measurement of just over 57% alcohol by volume. Plymouth Gin then supplied the Royal Navy gin at 57% abv because, if it happened to spill on gunpowder at this strength, the powder will still light, a throwback to the days when gin and gunpowder were stored side by side on board ship.

The 57% abv amplifies the aroma and fragrance of the botanicals, yet retains the smooth and balanced character Plymouth Gin is renowned for. As with Plymouth Original, this is a handcrafted, batch distilled gin made to an 18th century recipe. Whilst stronger and more commanding than the 41.2% abv Original Plymouth Gin, Navy Strength uses the same Victorian still, soft Dartmoor water and combination of seven hand selected botanicals.

Plymouth Navy Strength, at 57% ABV - or 100° English proof - is the traditional strength demanded by the British Royal Navy. This was the proof that would not prevent gunpowder from igniting, should it be compromised by spilled spirit. It is the gin the distillery has supplied to the Royal Navy since the early 1800s and is the gin traditionally presented to each and every Royal Navy ship on commissioning. For decades, the navy had been carrying lemons and limes to help prevent scurvy, lemons and limes are not easy to digest on their own and they spoil easily on long voyages.

In a brilliant moment, Sir Thomas D. Gimlette, a ship’s surgeon in the Royal Navy, squeezed some lime juice into Plymouth Navy Strength - and the Gimlet was born.

This alcoholic strength is not one you see often and dates from the system of measuring alcohol by percentage proof derived from Royal Navy practice. For many years the lower ratings in the Navy were issued with a daily tot of rum.  It was often suspected that the spirit had been watered down and, to test the alcohol, a mixture of gunpowder and rum was placed on deck and lit.

Botanicals

Lemon Peel - Light, bright and sharp. Citrus peel is used, rather than the fruit as it contains more valuable oils. Lemon oil is refreshing, with many ancient medicinal applications. It contributes fresh citrus flavour and enhances its dryness.

Orange Peel - Soft rounded citrus flavours. The peel from oranges from southern Spain . The dried peel releases an oil that is mildly sedative and is used as an anti depressant.

Orris Root - Orris is the fragrant root of the Iris plant grown in Italy. It smells of sweet violets, used in talcum powder and potpourri mixes. Ground to a fine powder it imparts earthy, rooty tastes and like angelica helps to bind the flavours of the other botanicals.

Angelica Root - Originaterd in Iceland,Greenland and Russia,also from Saxony.Angelica Root adds musky, woody flavours and cotrbutes dryness.

Cardamom Pods - The aromatic spice. From Sri Lanka these small pods contain tint black seeds that have a warm, spicy aromatic flavour.

Coriander Seeds - Peppery and citrus. The second most commonly used botanical used in gin. The oil released through distillation has a fresh, slightly spicy, ginger, sage and lemon flavour widely grown in eastern  Europe.

Juniper Berries  -  The main ingredient in all gin, Juniper berries are from Italy and and Yugoslavia. Their distinctive taste of pine, lavender and camphor are unmistakable.

Plymouth Sloe Gin

Cellars: £39.50

FINISH: A smooth liqueur taste with a beautiful balance between sweet and bitter fruit flavours and a hint of almonds from the stone of the fruit.

THE IDEAL SERVE

Sloe Gin has long been enjoyed as a “winter warmer” in the countryside or just serve on ice and enjoy.

Country: England

Region: Plymouth - Devon

Distillery: Black Friars Distillery

Producer: Coates and Co

Allergens: Not known

Bottle size: 70cl

abv:  26%

Distillery Information

The making of fruit gins is a long tradition of the English countryside and Plymouth Gin keeps true to a unique recipe.  

Sloe Gin has a rich red colour which is the result from Sloe berries, the fruit of the blackthorn bush, slowly and gently steeped in High Strength Plymouth Gin, Dartmoor water and a small amount of sugar for approximately 4 months.

The sugar levels are kept low to allow the full flavour of the berries to shine and allow the dry acidity of the fruit to be an important part of the taste.

The result is an entirely natural product with no added flavourings or colourings.