Quite literally, the distillery buildings look like something out of a fairytale. Overlooking one of Scotland’s most famous castles, Eilean Donan Castle, sits a collection of buildings that wouldn’t look out of place in a scene from Hansel and Gretel.
Thomas Gottwald and Manuela Kohne-Gottwald, originally from Germany, moved to Scotland in 2013 and brought a little bit of the Brothers Grimm magic with them. Manuela opened her Wee Bakery, with daughter Joline later adding her own business, Pizza Jo’s Pizza Parlour, to the site.
A few years ago Thomas, a long time gin fan, along with gin specialist Roger Knight, toyed with the idea of opening his own distillery in order to produce gins that used carefully selected traditional botanicals, but that also captured the magic of the local area. In 2019, the friends, with the help of Joline and two botanists Martin and Stefan, made the fairytale come true by opening the Fairytale Distillery. If you peek through the distillery window, you might just spot Tinkerbelle the gin still!
On the nose, delicate juniper, topped with fresh citrus and mint, chocolatey, blackberry-like, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, ginger, resinous and rooty, some gentian, a touch of lavender; a very straightforward concept. To taste, compact, aromatic, with subtle juniper, somewhat ethereal and oily pungency, orange-like, slight mushroom notes, mossy, green-grassy, tart and peely, nutty and kernel-like, with lavender. Overall full-bodied with long lasting finish.
Key Botanical(s): Juniper, Orange Zest, Summer Savory, Jasmine
Gin Style: London Dry
Strength: 41% vol
Goes great with: A slice of grapefruit, tonic and ice.
On the nose, aromatic with clear juniper presence, a lot of citrus oil top notes, orange, lime, berry-like aromas, delicately rooty and earthy, ginger, coriander, cardamom, lavender, some tonka bean, floral aspects, rose petals, menthol coolness. To taste, aromatic repetition on the palate, subtle juniper basis, woody, coniferous and resinous accents, citrus, lime, orange peel, lavender, tonka bean, spignel, some lovage. Overall full-bodied with ethereal and bitter finish.
Key Botanical(s): Lime Zest, Bitter Orange, Allspice
Gin Style: London Dry
Strength: 41% vol
Goes great with: A sprig of rosemary, tonic and ice.
On the nose, very multi-faceted, aromatic botanicals and juniper, citrus heavy with lemon, lime, tangerine, tonka bean, ginger, coffee, lavender, ester, with a a touch of Bazooka chewing gum borrowings. To taste, very ethereal and ester continuation on the palate, quite a lot of juniper berries, dosed citrus top notes, orange peel, lime juice, tonka bean, mint, ginger, strong floral component, rose petals, rose oil, violet, lavender. Overall full-bodied, compact and harmonious.
Key Botanical(s): Kaffir Lime Leaves, Lime Peel, Orange Peel, Allspice
Gin Style: London Dry
Strength: 41% vol
Goes great with: A slice of lime, tonic and ice.
On the nose, lots of freshness embedded in juniper, citrus, oranges, lemon grass, slightly earthy and rooty, carrot, gentian, mint, eucalyptus, lavender, muscat blossom, blossom honey, cocoa, cinnamon bark. To taste, rather powerful juniper berry basis, coniferous and resinous, subtle citrus notes, orange peel, grapefruit, clove oil, rooty, gentian, a lot of ginger, mint, floral aspects, lavender, a touch of lovage. Overall compact body, fairly long finish.
Key Botanical(s): Angelica Roots, Lime Zest, Bitter Orange
Gin Style: London Dry
Strength: 41% vol
Goes great with: A slice of grapefruit, tonic and ice.
This slightly dry, smooth gin with just a hint of juniper in the bouquet has a flowery, rose petal beginning, reflecting the rosehip and meadowsweet botanicals. Not unlike some whiskys, there is a slightly peppery aftertaste and lots of subtle taste undertones.
Key Botanical(s): Barberry, Elderflower, Pomegranate, Star Anise
Gin Style: Distilled
Strength: 41% vol
Goes great with: A slice of grapefruit, tonic and ice.
This gin's spicy bouquet, drawn from some of its ingredients of cardamom, dates and cassis, hints of the Spice Routes. The faint juniper beginning merges into the smooth, spicy body, which finishes with vanilla and a hint of honey.
Key Botanical(s): Lemongrass, Dates, Pomegranate, Cloves
Gin Style: Distilled
Strength: 41% vol
Goes great with: Neat over ice with a sprig of rosemary.
The delicate citrus bouquet is hard to detect but the lemony beginning with a sweet aftertaste make this a very refreshing gin.
Key Botanical(s): Lemongrass, Lemon Zest, Lemon Balm, Cranberries
Gin Style: Distilled
Strength: 41% vol
Goes great with: A slice of lemon, tonic and ice.
On the nose, very floral basic notes, slightly perfumed, citrus, grapefruit, rose petals, orange blossoms, lavender, typical juniper base, coriander, ginger, black tea. To taste, strong ethereal top notes, candy drop-like, berry-like, lime, orange peel, floral notes, orange blossoms, elderflower, green tea, subtly juniper-like, a lot of rose oil, lavender, coriander, cardamom, thyme, malty sweetness. Overall good tightness and length, warming finish, unconventional concept.
Key Botanical(s): Grapefruit peel, Coriander, Orange Peel, Vanilla
Gin Style: Old Tom
Strength: 41% vol
Goes great with: A slice of orange, tonic and ice.
On the nose, aromatic with clear juniper presence, a strong mango not and hints of citrus including orange, lime, lemon. Delicately rooty and earthy with some floral notes and menthol. To taste, aromatic and subtle juniper with woody, conifer accents. Contains a strong mango element with a hint of cassia. Altogether a full bodied flavour with a hint of spice at the finish.
Key Botanical(s): Juniper, Citrus, Mango, Coriander, Hibiscus Petals
Gin Style: London Dry
Strength: 41% vol
Goes great with: A slice of mango, tonic and ice.
You could be mistaken for thinking you’ve stepped into the pages of a Brother’s Grimm Fairytale. Hidden away in the Highlands is what must be one of the UK’s most quirky and unique settings for a distillery – a village of fairytale cottages, although this isn’t a case of make believe. A stone’s throw from the world famous Eilean Donan Castle, The Fairytale Distillery produces a range of Scottish Gin expressions all lovingly crafted in the distillery. With its rusty chimneys, squint slated roof and even a cat on the roof, a nod to the Old Tom style of gin, the distillery is just one of three businesses where visitors can enjoy a bite to eat in the cafe, visit the distillery or pick up some freshly baked bread. There are also gin tasting and gin school experiences available.
Tour: Yes
Gin School: Yes
Cafe: Yes
Shop: Yes
Booking: Book a gin tasting or gin school experience by visiting their website here
You can learn more about the maker by clicking the links below.
