Glendalough Wild Botanical Gin

Glendalough Wild Botanical Gin is produced by Glendalough Distillery in County Wicklow, Ireland, and is conceived as an "all seasons" gin that captures a year in the Wicklow mountains in every bottle. It grew out of the distillery's earlier seasonal gins and brings together the character of spring, summer, autumn and winter in one expression. The botanicals are foraged in the valley and hills around Glendalough, a landscape known for its monastic history and dense woodland, and are chosen to reflect what grows naturally in this part of Ireland.

The distillery works closely with full-time forager Geraldine Kavanagh, who gathers wild plants, herbs and fruits in the Wicklow mountains throughout the year. She brings them to the distillery within hours of picking so that they can be used while they are still fresh and aromatic. The botanical bill combines classic gin ingredients with a wide range of wild botanicals: juniper, coriander seed, angelica root, orris root, liquorice root and liquorice bark, organic lemons, elderflower, red clover flower, yarrow, ox-eye daisy, wild raspberry, blackberry leaves, wild rose, water mint, sweet woodruff, lemon balm, wild angelica, sweet cicely, lady's bedstraw and bell heather.

Glendalough Wild Botanical Gin is distilled slowly in very small batches of less than 250 litres. To protect the more delicate flavours, some botanicals are macerated in neutral spirit before distillation, while others are suspended in a basket so that only the rising vapour extracts their essential oils. The distillation runs are long and the cut points are decided by taste and aroma rather than by automation, allowing the distillers to adapt to the character of each batch of fresh botanicals.

On the nose, the gin shows fresh notes of juniper, citrus and pine, often described as reminiscent of a forest clearing in spring. As it opens, herbal and floral tones appear, with suggestions of meadow flowers and wild herbs. The palate begins cool and mellow, with soft juniper, lemon and herbal notes, then moves into richer flavours of summer flowers, wild autumn fruits and gentle spice. The presence of wild raspberries, blackberry leaves and other fruits gives a discreet fruity depth, while woodruff, yarrow and other herbs add structure and a lightly earthy complexity. The finish is long and woodland in character, with warm winter spices and a dry, aromatic aftertaste.

The bottle design reflects the link between the gin and its place of origin. Wild botanicals are embossed around the glass and small details on the bottle reference the valley of Glendalough and its early monastic site. Glendalough Wild Botanical Gin has received international recognition, including a Double Gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Gold medals at The Gin Masters, the Italian Gin Awards, the Beverage Tasting Institute, the IWSC and the Irish Gin Awards, as well as Bronze and Silver medals at the World Gin Awards in the London Dry Gin category. It is bottled at 41 percent alcohol by volume and works well in a gin and tonic with a simple citrus garnish, as well as in classic cocktails such as a Martini, where its layered herbal, floral and gently fruity profile can be clearly appreciated.