The lovely chaps at Pickering’s Gin recently offered to send me a special treat. Having never tried their stuff before, I was delighted, and soon enough arrived a very cute package featuring their original bottling, as well as Pickering’s Original 1947 release.
The hand-crafted, hand-bottled and hand-waxed miniatures beautifully reflect their larger originals. I tried the original (red top) first; a delightfully smooth gin with a refreshing aroma which gives way to a warming spiciness. Good nose, good flavour. Not too punchy, but with plenty of bite.
Then came the Original 1947 Gin. It’s made to an exact recipe which was first written down in Bombay in 1947. It has the same clean aroma of the red top, but – boy oh boy – it’s something else. Stronger (in flavour, not ABV – both are 42%), spicier and sweeter than it’s brother, this is one for people who like intense gins with flavours of cardamom, coriander, clove and cinnamon. Despite its smooth sweetness, it manages to avoid that lingering saccharin flavour which can be so common in sweeter gins, and instead is very refreshing.
Made at the Summerhall Distillery (the first gin-only distillery to open in Edinburgh in over 150 years), the gin’s botanicals are simmered in a bain marie (as opposed to vapour infused) to coax out the flavours. Heck, if you’re in Edinburgh, you can go and see the magic happening for yourself.
On the very same day I first tried this, I went to Mr Fogg’s, a fabulous gin bar in Covent Garden, and sought out Pickering’s Gin again that very same night. More-ish it definitely is.
The Ginthusiast 
What a loverly write up! Thank you.
They’re lovely gins!