Review

Conker Spirit
Dorset Dry Gin

Conker Spirit Ltd., Southbourne, Christchurch, Nr. Bournemouth, Dorset, England, UK. 

Conker Spirit. 

Rupert Holloway was a chartered surveyor in the construction industry when in the fall of 2013 he had the idea of wanting to create the first distillery in Dorset. “Rupes” duly set about filing paperwork and planning everything he could to make this dream a reality. In spring 2014 he left his job and armed with a 1.5-liter alembic copper pot still (called Aunt Fanny) began experimenting with recipes. Armed with samples to promote it, and the help of a successful crowd funder campaign, the distillery was completed in spring 2015.

This Gin was formally launched in April 2015.

Made from British wheat spirit, the Gin is produced in small batches using a copper pot still and local New Forest spring water.

The Gin is presented in a squat circular bottle with a short conical ridged neck. It has a large white colored circular label (scalloped around the edges) with black text, copper foiling throughout and a copper colored top. It also sports a small yellow oblong label at the bottom with the distiller’s signature, batch number and bottle number.

Distilled Dry Gin.

40% (80 Proof).

$$$$ - $$$$$. Only available in local bars and off licenses (liquor stores) in Dorset UK, with no shipping arrangements yet, although this is expected to change soon.

10 botanicals are used, including some locally forged* from Dorset: angelica root, cassia bark, coriander seed, elderberries*, gorse flowers*, juniper berries, lime peel, orange (bitter), orris and samphire*.

Conker is the colloquial name for the hard fruit of the tall growing horse-chestnut tree (Aesculus hippocastanum), found throughout England, and has a connotation for being big and strong. However, using it as a name for the company arose from a autocorrected text message and has since been put to good marketing use with phrases like “Conkering since 2014” and “It’s time to conker”. We particularly like their trademarked tagline, “That’s the Spirit”.

Unfortunately we have yet to try this Gin but believe it is one to lookout for. We understand this silky smooth spirit has black tea notes from the samphire and berry from the elderberries, while strongly supported by the juniper, citrus and coriander.

2nd place, Craft Distilling Expo Competition, 2014.