The CLC Duchally Country Estate includes a hotel and luxurious holiday lodges in 27 acres of private parkland, featuring a botanical garden especially created to provide a variety of fruit, vegetables and botanicals for use in both the food produced on the estate but also in the gin making process.
As part of the bigger Scottish food and drink experience offered by the estate, the former gatehouse underwent a period of refurbishment and renovation to create the Gatehouse Distillery. This project was completed in conjunction with Strathearn Distillery, who designed and produce Gatehouse Gin in a pair of traditional direct-fired 100 litre copper alembic stills in the estate’s gatehouse. The team explored apples, rosehips, gooseberries and thistle in the search for a distinctive flavour.
Guests staying on the estate have the opportunity to create and distill their own gin under the guidance of the distillation team as well as enjoying tasting events and more.
On the nose, the almost gentle pine nose of a juniper-led gin quickly gives way to hints of fruit and citrus. There is an overarching aroma of freshness. To taste, smooth and sweet despite being a full-strength spirit. The sweetness comes from both the slowly distilled alcohol and the use of fresh apples and rosehip. The balancing tang comes from the gooseberry and galangal. Like all good gins, there is a hint of citrus. To finish, citrus afternotes, almost orange in flavour provided by the lemongrass and fresh pink grapefruit.
Key Botanical(s): Sweet Red Apples, Gooseberry, Lemongrass
Gin Style: London Dry
Strength: 42% vol
Goes great with: A slice of red apple, tonic and ice.
You can learn more about the maker by clicking the links below.
