The Isle of Arran, located on the West coast of Scotland, is Scotland’s seventh largest island. It features an abundance of wildlife fauna and is rich in wild botanicals, including three species of tree endemic to the island. Thanks to its diverse geology with high peaks to the north and lowlands to the south due to the Highland Boundary Fault, a geological feature which runs across Scotland and created the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands, visitors to the island can enjoy a variety of outdoor activities and adventures. This diverse and rich landscape was the starting point for Stuart Fraser, George Grassie, Ross Hamilton and George Laird, Arran Gin’s four co-founders and creators.
The development and launch of Isle of Arran Gin has been a long and exciting adventure for the team at Arran Botanical Drinks. From foraging all year round for the perfect seasonal, local botanicals to recipe development and test distilling. The last steps of the initial journey to launching the gin saw the Arran Botanical Drinks team working alongside award-winning distiller Simon Fairclough of Persie Distillery, who helped them bring their Isle of Arran Gin to life when it officially launched in early 2018. The Arran Botanical Drinks’ long term plans are to build a distillery on the island and bring all distillation and production back to the island when the time is right.
Arran Gin is a ‘punchy’ gin that shows its island flavours, habitats and seasons. Arran’s Meadowsweet, Noble Fir, Sea Lettuce and Common Hogweed Seed all make for a powerful flavour profile. The taste evokes Arran itself: coastline and hilltop on the first nose followed by floral and honey; spice and citrus on the palate. It has a luxurious, creamy mouthfeel with a long, smooth finish.
Key Botanical(s): Meadowsweet, Noble Fir, Sea Lettuce, Common Hogweed Seed
Gin Style: London Dry
Strength: 42% vol
Goes great with: A wedge of orange, neat over ice.
Learn more about Arran Botanical Drinks by visiting the links below.
