Deerness 2023 Edition Gin

Deerness 2023 Edition Gin is interesting because its limited character is not only about a label or a batch number. Apart from juniper, the botanicals named for this release were grown at the distillery during 2023: tarragon, lime leaf, tomato leaf, basil and lemon balm. Only 200 presentation boxes were produced, which makes the bottle a precise snapshot of one growing season in Orkney rather than a permanent flavour line.

Citrus · Limited Edition · Herbal

The aromatic profile is green, culinary and unusually fresh. Tarragon brings an anise-like herbal edge, basil adds a softer leafy note, and lemon balm gives a gentle citrus-herbal lift. Lime leaf sharpens the top of the aroma without needing extra peel, while tomato leaf is the detail that makes the gin memorable: green, slightly savoury and garden-like. In the mouth, the 38% ABV keeps the texture lighter, so the best reading is not power but clarity. Juniper gives the frame, then the garden herbs move through the palate before a clean citrus-green finish.

The perfect servePerfect serveThe way the producer recommends serving the gin (glass, tonic, ratio, garnish) to show it at its best.Glossary should protect that delicate herbal structure. Use 4 cl of gin with 12 cl of Mediterranean tonicMediterranean tonicA tonic with less bitterness and sugar, scented with herbs and citrus (rosemary, thyme, lemon). It leaves more room for the gin's botanicals.Glossary, plenty of ice, a basil leaf and a small lime leaf. The garnish follows the confirmed botanicals and avoids adding fruit that would pull the drink away from its garden character. It can also work in a highballHighballA long drink served in a tall, straight glass with plenty of ice: a spirit topped with soda or tonic. The word also names the glass.Glossary with soda and a small measure of tonic for drinkers who want the tomato leaf and lemon balm to remain very clear.

For GinToLove, Deerness 2023 Edition is a useful bottle because it shows how a limited edition can be specific without exaggeration. The story is in the plants: one season, five named botanicals grown at the distillery, and a profile that is fresh, herbal and quietly unusual.