Review:

Ancient Mariner Gin

Made at an undisclosed Distillery, London, England, UK for Roy Lewis of The Hebridean Liqueur Company, Helensburgh, Argyll, Scotland, UK. 

The Hebridean Liqueur Co.

The Hebridean Liqueur Company specialize in the creation and manufacture of liqueurs. They are a small family business based on the West Coast of Scotland. Their first product, The Original Lakeland Liqueur, was produced in 1995. Since this time further products have slowly and steadily been added to their portfolio.

This Gin went through 25 different recipes before being chosen and released in late 2012.

Made from 100% British grain.

The Gin is presented in a 50cl clear bottle cube (ideally shaped for keeping aboard ship). The green label depicts scenes from the poem (see Name below) including: the ship, Antartica, storm, arrow and Albatross.

London Cut Dry Gin.

50% (100 Proof).

$$$$$$$ - $$$$$$$$. Not available in the USA. Try Master of Malt in the UK but be prepared to pay around 60% extra for shipping.

Unknown.

The name originated at a fund raising for a leaky roof at a local church in Helensburgh. During this charity event there was a recital by heart of the famous poem: “The Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. This inspired Roy Lewis to create this Gin.

On the nose is juniper with herbs and spices. On the palate this oily dry spirit has strong juniper with herbs and faint citrus (lemon). The finish is spicy and peppery.

This is a simple and honest London Cut Dry style of Gin. It makes a good G&T with the bitterness of the herbs and spices and dryness of juniper coming through – one recommendation is to garnish with watercress to embellish the pepper finish. It is best in a very dry Martini so the herbs in the vermouth do not detract from the Gin.

Expensive but lively, gin lovers will drink and enjoy to the full.

Unknown.

Take some time with a glass of favorite drink made with this Gin and read examples of coleridge's powerful poetry (including "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" and "Kubla Khan").

Listen to a rendition of Coleridge's poem "The Ancient Mariner" while drinking this Gin:

Please excuse the cursing at the beginning of this video but a great song to listen to while drinking this Gin is "Rime of The Ancient Mariner" by the iconic band, Iron Maiden.

Alternatively, if your choice of music tends to be softer, try anything by the band Ancient Mariner - our pick here is "Child of Wrath."