A tasting with this multi award winning company
The Tasting Experience
RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Highlights
- Beautiful gins and vodka
- Great shop
- Good value (if two of you)
- Beautiful botanical garden
Duration – 1 hour (max)
Cost – £20 ( (for a two person boat shed )
Location – Dunnet Bay, Scotland
Gin Intro
Actually the start of this TourDeGin idea started with Rock Rose, during lockdown we did a virtual tasting with TheGinToMyTonic and we were so inspired by Martin’s story we looked up where he was. Located only a few miles from John O Groats it looked so beautiful we started the planning for our epic gin trip from Oxford.
Believe or not with over 270 bottles, that tasting was our first taste of Rock Rose – not sure how they missed my radar as it’s a fabulous gin and we bought a bottle before the virtual tasting was over.
Dunnet Bay Distillery is a family owned business of husband and wife team Martin & Claire Murray which started in 2014.
Martin a chemical engineer wanted to leave his job in the North Sea gas industry and spend more time with his family, so they decided to make Claire favourite tipple – Gin. Launching back in 2014 they hit the gin market at the right time and with a good products the business is booming with new facilities and growth on the current site. They employ (for their size and volume they make) amazingly only 18 people – for this area of Scotland that’s a great number of local jobs.
The site is an old cattle shed and overlooks (at the back) Dunnet Head – the most northerly point in Scotland. As many of the botanicals as possible are either grown on site or within 5 miles and Scottish water is used (of course) the still named Elizabeth is electric powered by the solar, so it’s fabulous to know it’s Scottish land, sun and water that makes up my gin. The vaporising method is used so botanicals are added to a basket and vapour infused through.
The Tour 3⭐️
Sorry, I know it’s a low score, and I really didn’t want to give it but it is in relation to the other reviews I have done it’s fair- so here are my reasons.
The distillery isn’t open to public due to Covid. Understand, but as we booked such a long time ago not sure it was as clear as it is now – it’s the only one we have been to that is still closed too. So I guess I was really disappointed over any others, as I said this is the tour we were here to do. As a once in a lifetime trip for our 21st we probably won’t get up this far again.
We were at a room at the back of the shop – normally a tasting room but transformed by Claire with beautiful boat sheds, comfy to start but not so after a long hour. The talk was a lot of historical stories about vikings, coffee and some tales of origins of Navy Strength gin. Interesting, but they were very long winded and lots of detail. The host, Joanne was lovely and funny, but was so so fast in her delivery, a real issue if English is not your first language or a neurodivergent. Also as a big gin geek not enough about gin history and making of Rock Rose gin or about the company.
I think we got the passion for the company and it’s start, history etc from Martin on the virtual and all the company ethos etc I was looking forward to hearing wasn’t there, it felt more like a scripted historical tour of facts and figures.
With less content, shorter stories I think it would have been a 4 ✨.
One thing to add, and Joanne encouraged, but not many did, was a visit to the beautiful botanical garden and the biodome – it’s really something. Maybe some things could be taken out (like the coffee story ) and we could start the tour or end then tour there?
The Taste 3⭐️
Another tasting session without a drivers pack option. Yaaay more for me – except they were tiniest tiny samples..
The tasting was paired with a bottle of fever tree and garish for each, we had –
- Summer Edition- 41% with a small flower 🌸 as the garnish (forgot it’s name)
- Navy Strength- 57% same as Rock Rose classic but with more juniper ( delicious)
- Holy Grass coffee vodka ( interesting but not for me cocktails maybe ?)
One great tip from Joanne was to let the garnish sit for a while and then see how it changed the flavours.
During the samples Joanne shared the stories. Most interesting and the only one I remember in full ( except navy but l knew) relates to Rhodiola rosea a botanical which is very difficult to find but grows on the rocks in Caithness. Planted by the vikings and hence the name of Rock Rose.
After all the tours I’ve done I think this had the smallest samples with no drink to start – I would have rather paid more to sit and enjoy a refreshing G&T. Plus I do love a Rock Rose, it was my turn not to drive, so double sadness.
Tour Top Tips
- Plan your journey, so much to see on the way there and back, a beautiful part of Scotland. Just of the NC500 route, its easy to find, use Sat Nav and follow instructions
- Check out the shop – and ask for any exclusives – Martin is apparently always making small tester batches and lots of one offs
- Take you time to enjoy the garden and bio dome
- Look at the back of your bottles to see who the distiller is – it might be made by a rock star – KS – Kevin Swanson – who makes gin but is also in Noel Gallaghers band – High Flying Birds
Overall we enjoyed it and if you hadn’t done the virtual or a gin geek like me you’ll love it , but were a little disappointed so a 3.5⭐️
Tour de Gin 