GIN
INSPIRED BY SCOTLAND, ENJOYED GLOBALLY
Aberdeenshire Foraged Gin
We approach gin in the same way we approach whisky. We take the important rules that govern the making of Scottish whisky and apply them rigorously to our gins. We were dismayed when we realised many of the ‘local’ gins you see today are actually mass produced elsewhere, thankfully a number aren’t. We were delighted when we discovered that others shared our concern over the standards and we’re now proud to be part of a community of Scottish distillers who care about process and attention to detail. Our aim is
to elevate gin to another level.
We call it this because we make in Aberdeenshire, from bits of Aberdeenshire, and it’s gin.
INSPIRED BY SCOTLAND, ENJOYED GLOBALLY
Aberdeenshire Foraged Gin
We approach gin in the same way we approach whisky. We take the important rules that govern the making of Scottish whisky and apply them rigorously to our gins. We were dismayed when we realised many of the ‘local’ gins you see today are actually mass produced elsewhere, thankfully a number aren’t. We were delighted when we discovered that others shared our concern over the standards and we’re now proud to be part of a community of Scottish distillers who care about process and attention to detail. Our aim is to elevate gin to another level.
We call it this because we make in Aberdeenshire, from bits of Aberdeenshire, and it’s gin.
A great gin should be distilled to the highest standards and ours also contain local botanicals. Our gins are made with respect by us, we cut no corners. We collect botanicals ourselves from our farm, we literally took a course in bee-keeping so we could collect bee pollen. We tap our own birch trees every winter for that amazing sap. We even add geolocation to our labels so you know where your drink is from. You can taste the difference. Our gins don’t need to be obliterated by tonic.
A great gin should be distilled to the highest standards and ours also contain local botanicals. Our gins are made with respect by us, we cut no corners. We collect botanicals ourselves from our farm, we literally took a course in bee-keeping so we could collect bee pollen. We tap our own birch trees every winter for that amazing sap. We even add geolocation to our labels so you know where your drink is from. You can taste the difference. Our gins don’t need to be obliterated by tonic.
GINS FOR PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT GIN AND CARE WHERE, AND HOW, THEIR FOOD AND DRINK IS MADE
Aberdeenshire Foraged Gin;the first gin we ever produced we named Another F***ing Gin. Coming from a whisky background gin seemed like the wild west. New ones appeared daily, but there were no rules to their production and it seemed to us little care either. We wanted to make a gin that adhered to the strict rules that govern whisky distillation. We were delighted when those who tasted our first gin were very complimentary. It turns out when you make something well it tastes better, who knew!
We were encouraged to continue and so AFG was born. If anyone asks AFG, particularly Chris’s mum, AFG stands for Aberdeenshire Foraged Gin. This is accurate, we genuinely do forage many on the ingredients ourselves, and it is a gin from Aberdeenshire.
There are much easier ways to make a gin but this gin is about detail and effort, we want it to be difficult to make because we believe that attention to detail is what makes the difference and makes this a better gin than most.
350 litre direct fired copper pot still, modified by us to all us to put the fresh ingredients in the neck of the still for a fresher more elegant taste. The short, dumpy still and direct fire helps us create the rich texture, but so does using about three times more juniper than most other gins. It’s gin so it should taste of juniper. Our nine hour spirit run is very slow but makes a much better gin.
Gin is easy eh, just slap a bunch of dry old stuff into a still and boom, gin… Well we take a somewhat different approach.
It takes a year to forage and grow for our gin. Then six weeks of resting after distillation to allow the aromatic oils to relax and the flavour to develop.
This is not the easy way. This is detailed, intelligent and highly intricate distilling to create a gin with incredible complexity and texture.
It’s why our gin is found in Michelin starred
restaurants and continues to win multiple
medals and awards.
Available from selected retailers and from our web shop.
[ visit our shop ]
A year of Aberdeenshire in your bottle
April
2 weeks to tap the birch trees as the sap rises
May
Picking beech leaves as they emerge and zing with fresh lemon flavours.
Planting Parsnips
June
Picking rhubarb
July–August
Collecting bee pollen from our own hives
October–November
Harvesting parsnips
December
Bare root planting juniper
All year
Foraging for wood sorrel and looking after our bees.
We became bee keepers to make this gin. The bees are our best foragers and as well as providing us with local Aberdeenshire bee pollen to distill in our gin, help with pollination of the trees,
flowers and grasses around us.
Cheers to the bees.
TASTING NOTES
A modern dry Scottish gin. Packed full of juniper, waves of citrus, floral and woodland notes, with a hint of petrichor.
“Like sookin’ sherbet lemons, dipped in beeswax, while sitting in a scots pine forest after the rain”
Andrew
“Tastes like gin, but more betterer”
Chris
Our LBD GIN – Latitude Strength, joined the line up in March 2021. Distilled at 57.2° North, bottled at 57.2%abv. All the good things about LBD GIN turned up to 11. A creamy texture and tongue spanking botanicals mean this gin makes the perfect luxurious martini. Ideal for when you wan the gin to stand out in a cocktail and coat your mouth with each sip.
Gin with Texture
Distilled slowly in a dumpy wee pot still,we can carry over all the rich botanical oils into the spirit. This creates a luxurious, silky gin, that coats your mouth with each sip and builds flavour.
There are easier ways to make gin, but we cut no corners in our detailed processes to retain this texture and freshness.
The still has been modified to hold our own design of copper mesh botanical basket, to keep the fresh botanicals out of the boiling bowl and retain the vibrancy of our Aberdeenshire botanicals.
Gin with Texture
Distilled slowly in a dumpy wee pot still,we can carry over all the rich botanical oils into the spirit. This creates a luxurious, silky gin, that coats your mouth with each sip and builds flavour.
There are easier ways to make gin, but we cut no corners in our detailed processes to retain this texture and freshness.
The still has been modified to hold our own design of copper mesh botanical basket, to keep the fresh botanicals out of the boiling bowl and retain the vibrancy of our Aberdeenshire botanicals.
Full Botanical List
What – Where – Form – Process – Flavour
Juniper
95% Italian purchased – 5% foraged locally from a secret location (not GPS tagged for these
beauties, they need to be protected) – Dry/fresh – Steep – Pine/resin
Coriander
French – Purchased – Dry – Steep – Spice
Angelica Root
Belgian – Purchased – Dry – Steep – Sweet aniseed
Orris Root
Italian – Purchased – Powdered – Steep – Floral/sherbert
Birch Sap
Foraged – Steep – Woody/mineral/caramel
Parsnip
Grown – Steep – Herbal/earthy/spice
Rhubarb
Foraged/grown – Steep – Sweet/sour
Beech Leaves
Foraged – Basket – Citrus/petrichor
Wood Sorrel
Foraged – Basket – Citrus/woodland
Bee Pollen
French – Purchased for now but locally from mid 2020 – Floral/honey/perfume
Lemon
Purchased – Location seasonally dependent – Fresh zest – Basket – eh lemon, obviously
Grapefruit
Purchased – As above – Fresh Zest and flesh – Basket low citrus/bitter
Our LBD GIN – Latitude Strength, joined the line up in March 2021. Distilled at 57.2° North, bottled at 57.2%abv. All the good things about LBD GIN turned up to 11. A creamy texture and tongue spanking botanicals mean this gin makes the perfect luxurious martini. Ideal for when you wan the gin to stand out in a cocktail and coat your mouth with each sip.
