Review

Tottering
"Dicky's Flask Filler"
Sloe Gin

Produced for “Tottering-by-Gently” by Foxdenton Estate Company Ltd., Winslow, Buckinghamshire (and made by Thames Distillers Ltd., Clapham, London), England, UK.

Park Lane Champagne and Foxdenton Estate.

“Tottering-by-Gently” is a cartoon strip by Annie Tempest and has been published in the monthly UK magazine “Country Life” since 1993. It is based around the fictitious absent minded and tipsy Lord (Dicky) and Lady (Daffy) Tottering of Tottering Hall. It portrays the idiosyncratic social interactions of their aristocratic English country life including family, Labrador dogs, horses, guns and bottles of drink. Across the years this has developed into a worldwide merchandising business: Tottering have books, cards, prints and other such products, plus the “Butler’s Pantry” at Park Lane Champagne (part of Tottering) market branded Tottering drinks.

Foxdenton Estate Company Ltd is a small family business established in 1935 by Major Charles Radclyffe. This was envisaged as a way to further commercialize his ancestral Estate of Foxdenton based in Lancashire, which had been in the family since 1367. In 1923 the Foxdenton Estate was leased to the local council who permitted public access to the grounds. In 1960 the house itself was sold to the local council and is now a tourist attraction. The business was taken over by his son Alexander Radclyffe and in 2001 his son the present owner, Nicholas Radclyffe, inherited the family business.

Thames Distillers is run by Charles Maxwell. He is the 8th generation of the family (founders of the Finsbury Distillery) who have been producing Gin since 1700 – making them the oldest unbroken lineage in Gin distillation.

We believe this Gin was launched in 2012.

This red colored Gin is presented in a clear squat cylindrical bottle with rounded shoulders and a black wax sealed top. It has a large white label with a colored cartoon picture of Lord “Dicky” Tottering with shotgun, taking a “swig” from a hip flask, and surrounded by black Labrador dogs.

Flavored Gin - Sloe.

27% (54 Proof).

$$$$ - $$$$$. Not available in the USA. It can be found online from Master of Malt in the UK, but add around another 40% for shipping. 

Unknown.

Named after the fictitious Tottering Hall and the main flavoring of sloeberries.

On the nose is a sweet red fruit aroma with juniper notes. On the palate is dry red fruit and plum (sloe) flavor with juniper and faint peppery spice. On the close the long fruity plum flavor continues with a dry Gin (juniper, spice and herbal) notes in the finish. This is a relatively dry Sloe Gin, with a good fruitiness to it.

The same dryness as found in the Foxdenton Sloe Gin exists, making this different to the usually sweet renditions expected. While the Foxdenton Sloe Gin has almond scent and taste this was not found here but this proved to be a fruitier version instead. Our personal preference is for a drier Sloe Gin so this was particularly nice when drunk neat. However, with a sparkling mixer it makes a good fruity cool summer drink to be remembered. We are looking forward to an opportunity to taste both the Tottering and the Foxdenton Sloe Gins in order to do a side-by-side comparison test.

Unknown.