Darnley’s Gin began as a Wemyss family adventure, a brother and sister with a background in whisky and wine, fascinated by the endless combination of botanicals you could use in gin making and the impact this could have on flavour.
They have since moved production to Scotland and more specifically to Kingsbarns Fife and the Wemyss family home and farm.
Darnley’s Gin is made in a traditional pot still using the London Dry method, which has been around for centuries. They chose to make gin this way as it pulled on the heritage and skills of their master distiller and ultimately produces a gin with uncompromising quality and flavour.
Darnley’s Original is distilled from 6 botanicals including juniper, elderflower, coriander and lemon peel. Bottled at 40% ABV, this London Dry Gin has a long and dry finish, which makes for a refreshing G&T.
Key Botanical(s): Elderflower, Coriander
Gin Style: London Dry
Strength: 40% vol
Goes great with: A squeeze of lemon juice, tonic and ice.
Darnley’s Spiced is distilled from 10 botanicals including juniper, cloves, grains of paradise and ginger. Bottled at 42.7% ABV, this contemporary gin has a lingering peppery finish and is best served with ginger ale as an alternative to tonic.
Key Botanical(s): Cloves, Ginger, Cinnamon
Gin Style: London Dry
Strength: 42.7% vol
Goes great with: Ginger ale and ice.
This Navy Strength (ABV 57.1%) edition of Darnley’s Spiced Gin was inspired by the illustrious Royal Navy career of the family ancestor Sir Rosslyn Wemyss who commanded ships around the world and rose to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet. His ships’ officers enjoyed a daily ration of gin that had to pass a gunpowder test to prove it was over 57% alcohol and therefore Navy Strength. It retains the warming spice flavours of the Spiced Gin but with more juniper.
Key Botanical(s): Cloves, Ginger, Cinnamon
Gin Style: Navy Strength
Strength: 57.1% vol
Goes great with: A wedge of pink grapefruit, tonic and ice.
Aromata is a special release from the team at Darnley’s Gin and has been created from a distinctive combination of eleven botanicals. Distiller Scott Gowans wanted to create a bright, spicy and aromatic gin and ultimately chose from a selection of home-grown and south-east Asian botanicals; lemon grass and ginger give bright zesty citrus notes, underlined by earthy-sweet galangal and turmeric, finishing with a tingle from star anise and home-grown fennel seeds.
Key Botanical(s): Lemon Grass, Ginger, Galangal, Turmeric, Star Anise, Fennel
Gin Style: London Dry
Strength: 42% vol
Goes great with: A wedge of grapefruit, tonic and ice.
The fourth limited edition release as part of the Darnley’s Cottage Series, Coastal Haar Gin combines nine botanicals, which include a mix of locally grown botanicals and locally foraged botanicals. The foraged botanicals have been carefully selected from along the east coast of Scotland to create a flavour profile that expresses the flavours and smells of the East Neuk of Fife coastline; sea buckthorn, sugar kelp and marigold petals are balanced with salty pine, tropical mango and pineapple to create a fresh coastal gin. Additional traditional botanicals include juniper, coriander seed, angelica, orris root, lemon balm and orange peel.
Key Botanical(s): Sea Buckthorn, Sugar Kelp, Marigold Petals
Gin Style: London Dry
Strength: 42% vol
Goes great with: A wedge of orange, tonic and ice.
The third limited edition release as part of the Darnley’s Cottage Series, Wild Citrus Gin uses foraged sorrel and garden-grown lemon balm, herbaceous plants native to the Kingdom of Fife, that provide wild citrus and herbaceous, green flavours. These two botanicals were carefully selected by head gin distiller Scott Gowans, along with apples from East Neuk Orchards and a subtle amount of lavender, some of which is grown on-site at the gin cottage, which adds a light floral note. Other botanicals include juniper, coriander seed, angelica root and orris root. On the nose, fresh green apple peel, lemon zest with hints of rose petals and lavender. On the palate, pine and lemon freshness with hints of strawberry and raspberry with a zingy finish that’s reminiscent of fruit salad sweets with notes of pineapple and raspberry.
Key Botanical(s): Sorrel, Lemon Balm, Apples
Gin Style: London Dry
Strength: 42.8% vol
Goes great with: Sprig of fresh mint, tonic and ice.
The second limited edition release as part of the Darnley’s Cottage Series, Smoke & Zest London Dry Gin is distilled using juniper, coriander, angelica root, barley, orange peel, rowan berry and lapsang souchong - a type of tea from Asia. On the nose, notes of sweet berry along with fresh fruit, citrus and a delicate smoke and pine. On the palate, citrus up front and centre stage with sweet bursts of orange and grapefruit and a rich, smooth malty depth. Subtly blended into this is a light taste of smoke. The finish delivers a fruity complexity at the start with smoke which slowly intensifies over a long finish. Smoke & Zest is now entirely sold out.
Key Botanical(s): Orange Peel, Lapsang Souchong, Barley, Rowan Berry
Gin Style: London Dry
Strength: 41.5% vol
Goes great with: A sprig of thyme, slice of lemon, tonic and ice. Or a twist of orange peel, ginger ale and ice.
Very Berry is the inaugural release in its range of limited editions under the banner, Cottage Series. Inspiration for the recipe was taken from the countryside in which the Darnley's Gin cottage sits. On the nose, sugar kelp gives both sweet and salty notes with rosehip adding a fragrance of raspberry and hibiscus. To taste, tart and bitter up front with rich fruit from elderberry and sloes. To finish, a sweet and aromatic character over the palate balanced with a coastal mineral flavour. Very Berry is now entirely sold out.
Key Botanical(s): Rosehip, Elderberry, Sloe Berry, Sugar Kelp
Gin Style: London Dry
Strength: 41.5% vol
Goes great with: Red berry garnish, Mediterranean Tonic and ice.
Set in the picturesque East Neuk of Fife, Darnley’s Distillery is housed in a charming cottage overlooking Kingsbarns golf course and the North Sea beyond. Your tour guide will give you the story of Darnley’s Gin, how they distil their spirit and of course, lead you in a tasting.
Darnley’s Gin School now offers a ‘Distil Your Own’ Experience where you can become a gin distiller for the day. Enjoy a welcome drink then it’s into the gin school for a lesson in botanicals before distilling on a traditional mini copper pot still. Enjoy a Darnley’s Gin tour whilst sipping on the signature gin and tonic and bottling and labelling your own 70cl gin to take home.
Tour: Yes
Gin School: Yes
Cafe: Yes
Bar: Yes
Shop: Yes
Booking: Book a gin school experience or distillery tour here
You can learn more about the maker by clicking the links below.
