Review

Moniack Sloe Gin

Highland Wineries (a subsidiary of Lyme Bay Winery), Inverness, Inverness-shire, Scotland (made by Lyme Bay Winery in Shute, Axminster, Devon, England) UK.

Highland Wineries.

Moniack Castle is a fortified country house built in 1580 for the Fraser family (whose descendents still live there today). Highland Wineries was established by Phillipa Fraser in 1978 at Moniack Castle. The company has steadily grown and includes a range of fruit wines, liqueurs, and Mead plus pickles, preserves & condiments. Once a home based operation, the increasing product range and sales volumes have necessitated the use of a full commercial production facility. Today Phillipa’s son Rory Fraser runs the business and they have partnered with Lyme Bay Winery, primarily for production and distribution purposes.

The Sloe Gin Liqueur is made using a recipe handed down within the Fraser family.

The Gin is presented in a tall clear cylindrical traditional wine style bottle with rounded shoulders, displaying its light red faintly orange color. It has a medium sized white label with black colored text with purple highlights, displaying a sketch of a Medieval/Elizabethan styled boar-hunting scene.

Flavored Gin - Sloe.

17% (34 Proof), although it was until recently bottled at 17.6% (35 Proof), and some bottles are still to be found available at this slightly higher strength.

$ - $$. Not available in the USA. Try Master of Malt in the UK but be prepared to add at least double the price for shipping.

Unknown, although certainly contains juniper berries and sloeberries.

Named after the founders ancestral home, Moniack Castle, and the key flavored botanical.

On the nose is a light berry fruit aroma with hints of juniper (Gin). On the palate this gently sweet spirit has light fruit flavors with floral and caramel apple hints. On the close is a smooth warming fruity finish.

This is the lightest flavored Sloe Gin we have tasted and is one of the lowest strength, in terms of alcohol content. This, by design, makes it different from other Sloe Gin, with some suggesting (because it is below 25% ABV) it is not a Sloe Gin but a fortified Sloe Wine. This does taste like a fruity rosé wine but do not let this distract you, it makes a very pleasing aperitif. Drink it neat as a winter warmer or add tonic water, lemonade or sparkling wine for a cooling summer treat.

Whilst traditionalists may not fully enjoy this, new Sloe Gin drinkers may find it an ideal introduction to the world of flavoured fruit Gins. Even regular Sloe Gin drinkers may find this a nice change of pace, at a very nice price point.

Unknown.