Review

Dà Mhìle
Farmhouse Botanical Gin

Dà Mhìle Distillery, Glynhynod farm, Llandysul, Ceredigion, Wales, UK.

Dà Mhìle.

John Savage-Onstwedder is an organic farmer and is one of the founders of Teifi Farmhouse Cheese. In 1992, armed with organic barley grown on the farm, he arranged for Springbank Distillery in Cambeltown, Scotland to produce an organic whiskey. This would mature in time for celebrating the forthcoming Millennium. The result proved very successful and this spurred him on to starting his own distillery.

The idea took shape and begun its journey in 2009, with the required licensing and sourcing of suitable distillery equipment. Using a 350-liter still, designed by Dr. Klaus Hagmann from Germany, the distillery was finally established in 2012. The distillery is run by John’s eldest son John-James, first producing an Orange Liqueur and quickly followed by this organic Gin.

Tours and tastings are available by prior arrangement.

Produced in small batches from 100% organic produce.

Distilled Dry Gin.

42% (84 Proof).

$$$$$ - $$$$$$. Not available in the USA. It is available online from Gourmet Wales or Vintage Roots both in the UK but neither ship to the USA.

Uses 20 botanicals including 5 grown on their farm*: clover (red & white)*, coriander, elderflower*, gorse* and juniper berries.

The Gaelic name Dà Mhìle, pronounced da-vee-lay, translates as “Two Thousand”. This stems from their first foray into liquor making and the Whiskey produced to be ready for the Millennium.

On the nose are juniper and spices including cardamom, coriander and fennel with faint floral and herbal notes. On the palate this bittersweet velvety spirit has juniper and citrus with coriander and fennel plus floral and herbal notes our palates couldn’t readily identify. On the close there is dry juniper and peppery clove-like spice with more herbal notes in the long finish. A complex Gin with character.

In a Gin and Tonic the juniper is there but with more of a spice kick by comparison to many Gins, making it a different and very nice drink. In a Martini the flavor profile is the same: dry juniper with warming spice (especially in the finish) – making for an unusual and rewarding tipple. Perhaps our favorite drink with this Gin (we’ve tried so far) in a Tom Collins where the normal citrus taste is equally matched with the spice and herbal notes of this Gin.

When the excellent Brecon Special Reserve was released in 2007, the first Welsh Gin ever, we fully expected to see many more Gin producers to appear in Wales, perhaps with varying levels of quality. We didn’t expect it to take another 5 years for the second Welsh Gin producer to appear, but with this quality and organic too, it’s been well worth the wait.

Unknown.