Review

Bramley & Gage
Sloe Gin

Bramley & Gage (Thames Distillery, Clapham, London), Thornby, Bristol, Gloucestershire, England, UK.

Bramley & Gage.

Started in the 1980’s by Edward Bramley Kain and wife Penelope (nee Gage) at their South Devon fruit farm by making fruit liqueurs. It was only a short time later, using hedgerow sloe berries they moved in to producing Gin’s. In the 1990’s they sold the farm and set up in a building with a small bottling line. Since 2007 son Michael and daughter Felicity have run the business, increasing production from 50,000 bottles to over 200,000 per year.

Made by soaking hand picked hedgerow sloes in their 6 O’clock Gin and sugar - 4oz of sugar to a 70cl bottle of gin. We understand that more sloes are added than is usual, making a higher ratio of sloes to Gin. Presented in a tall clear cylindrical bottle to show off the red color, with a simple burgundy label and gold lettering.

Flavored Gin - Sloe.

26% (52 Proof).

$$$ - $$$$. Not available in the USA but try Master of Malt in the UK – be prepared to pay around 70% more for shipping.

8 botanicals are used including: angelica, coriander, elderflower, juniper berries, orange peel, orris and sloeberries.

Named after the husband & wife team who founded the company, and the main botanical ingredient Sloeberries.

On the nose are cherry and blackberry with faint almond. On the palate this semi-sweet spirit shows deep red berry flavors (sloes) with a sweet but dry and tart attack that finishes warmly.

Many commercially produced Sloe Gins are sweet but this one is much drier. Many Sloe Gin drinkers may find it too dry for their palates (try their Sweet Sloe Gin) but we enjoyed it tremendously. Whilst we like a sweet Sloe Gin this turned us around a corner, redirecting us to a dryness, which has quickly become preferable. We encourage you to try this at your earliest convenience, many are turned off Sloe Gin due to its sweetness, and it might just change your mind.

Unknown.