Edinburgh Gin Tasting Experience
RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ✨
Highlights
- Goodie Bag
- Discounted products
- Great storytelling
Duration – 1 hour
Cost – £20
Location – Edinburgh, 1 A Rutland Place
Gin Intro
Edinburgh gin started in 2010 with husband and wife Alex & Jane, who after raising funds and making connections by selling blended whiskey, rented a still to make a recipe that is still the Classic London Dry today.
In 2011 due to a bad year of sloes they decided to use raspberries to make a liquor – and at that time there were not many liquors on the market so it’s success helped make them a name and boost the business – next came the famous delicious Rhubarb liquor (I’ve had at least three bottles) 2016 Alex and Jane retired and sold to Ian McCloud. The business has now grown to produce 8,000 bottles a week – with plans for future growth with a new facility in Edinburgh.
The Tour 3⭐️
I would like to start by saying this was more of a tasting experience than a tour. You arrive at a what looks like a cellar door – I walked past a few times as really wasn’t what I was expecting. The friendly host checked our names and we were lead down some step stairs ( facilities would not be good for disabled access).
Through a dark corridor you are led in to what felt like a speakeasy bar – and asked to sit at designated tables. This is where everything happens – this one room. Apparently EG are renting this space from the hotel and soon it will be sold to be returned to a bar.
Two beautiful 100ltr still are behind two glass windows – luckily we could see both the stills and the map from our seat – but most couldn’t. The room only seats 8 people with limited space to move around. The stills apparently are in use, but majority of the production happens in their large site in Leith.
Connor lead the group – by starting straight in with the tasting ( will cover that in a second) and his gun is made ( great image like it so much bought it on a tea towel ) he interwove (like Andy at Masons) the story of gin, Edinburgh Gin and the story of the G & T (think they might have read the same book).
I did learn something new though. Another name for Malaria was The Fever. Therefore the Quinnie Tree which gave us the sailors quinine to fight malaria, which they added to gin, was called The Fever Tree – hence the tonic brand!
The Taste 3⭐️
We tasted –
- Classic 43%
- Raspberry 40%
- Apple & Spice Liquor 20%
- Cannonball Navy 57%
- 1670 London Dry 43%
Honestly, as lovely and knowledgeable as Connor was I was disappointed with the tasting. We started with the classic G&T in the centre ( not a perfect serve a single) – too much tonic added for me and was a shame we didn’t get to try it neat first. I did like how Connor took us through each botanical – trying to get people to suggest what was in it. The samples where tiny however as well as the garnish so was difficult to get the full idea of the gin. No other samples where on offer and after running through them all it was the end of the tasting – it went really fast about 45 minutes maybe slightly less. The team arrived to help in the shop and hand out the goodie bags.
We liked the Cannon Ball – loved how it was not the same as the classic but a different recipe, had a lovely citrus and pepper taste, but bought the 1670 a herbaceous gin with unique botanicals.
All in all I didn’t like the location so would only visit again if it was the new site – it didn’t feel like a tour more of a hosted sample tasting of three gins and it felt very commercial and scripted. However, everyone was lovely and friendly so I did enjoy it but I would say more aimed as a tourist attraction than a gin geeks (like me) dream.
Tour Top Tips
- Arrive on time, a lot of traffic issues, lots of trams and busses stop here but it’s a lovely walk from town
- Check out offers online first and check your shelves – you do get a great 10% off to use there or in the shop
- Ask them what if anything you can’t get elsewhere – we bought, -Edinburgh Gin 1670 is the result of an innovative partnership with Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RGBE). They said it was scarce online but since seen it everywhere.
Overall Experience 3.5⭐️
Tour de Gin 