In early May, faced with the prospect of a summer at home, with no-where to go because of lockdown, I decided to treat myself and buy some craft gin.
I went for The Secret Garden range of gin by The Old Curiosity Distillery. This distillery is based in Edinburgh, Scotland, and they grow the herbs they use in their gins on site, which is reason enough to give them a try, in my opinion. The bottles also come in a range of sizes, including a 50ml sample size – ideal if you’d like a taste before you invest in a larger bottle.
The glass bottles are adorable, with beautiful labels. I can imagine people mistaking them for genuine vintage treasures from the Victorian times, or early twentieth century. They’re the kind of bottles I’ll keep after I've drunk the gin, with some vague notion of using them as bud vases for a romantic floral display that I’ll never quite get round to creating. But they’re inspiring, and fit the luxury gin package.
The smallest bottles, which I believe are the equivalent of a generous double shot, are priced £5.95 each. Delivery was quick and efficient, and a free bottle of Lavender and Thyme hand sanitiser was also included, which was very well received! Another fantastic detail is that the bottle toppers can be popped back in, so you don’t have to drink the whole thing in one go if you don’t want to. Yes, a bit on the pricey side, but the beautiful bottle provides you with a free souvenir long after the gin is gone. And the gin alone is worth the money too…
I should probably take this opportunity to say that the company that make these gins are not paying or sponsoring me to review them. I just thought a review of these gins would make a fun topic as they are botanically themed, and I bought them with my own money. I should also say, I am not an expert by any means, so take everything I say with a grain of salt.
Botanical gin number 1: Lemon Verbena
Lemon verbena is one of my favourite herbs, so I knew this was a flavour I could get in board with. I usually drink it as an infusion with hot water, but I will happily switch to drinking it in gin of an evening. I teamed it with a light Feverfew tonic and a slice of lemon peel. I also added a sprig of lemon verbena, but removed it after a while because it wasn't adding to the flavour.
I was expecting this gin to have very sharp citrus notes to it, but it was much softer, which makes sense, because lemon verbena, as an infusion, is quite soft for a citrus flavour. This gin got a big thumbs up from me. It was elegant and refreshing. I just wish I had added some ice.
I would say this is a really nice twist on a classic gin and I'd love to have a bottle of this in the cupboard for all year round. A great gin staple.
Botanical gin number 2: Apothecary Rose
I tried this romantic-looking rose gin on a balmy evening in late May. As you can see, it was at this point that I decided to invest in a proper gin glass rather than continue to use our fancy whiskey tumblers that I am always scared of breaking. I mixed this gin with Sicilian lemonade.
I had my reservations about this one being a bit too rosy. I am not hugely into rose as a flavour. But I didn't need to be concerned as the rose flavour in this gin isn't too strong, at least to my tastes, and with the mixer, I just felt like I was drinking alcoholic pink lemonade.
I'm not sure this would be my gin of choice. However, for a girls' night in or party, this drink would be fun and decadent. especially with the addition of a few dried rose petals.
Botanical gin number 3: Chamomile & Cornflower
Then it was June and so came the rain, putting a dampener on the May heatwaves. It didn't stop me enjoying a gin and tonic in the garden though. I drank this funky blue gin sitting on a towel, under an umbrella, taking in my rain-soaked garden while garden birds sang nearby.
I was surprised by how much I liked this gin, because cornflower isn't a flavour that particularly speaks to me. I drank it with a light tonic, a slice of lemon and some Moroccan mint. It was refreshing and sharp, with a slightly bitter aftertaste. I also noticed the I enjoyed it more and more as I let it sit, as the flavours from the mint started to come through. I did have a little sniff and sip of the gin neat, and I definitely detected the chamomile, although this was lost when I added the mixer and other ingredients.
I really love the colour of this gin. It goes from bright azure-blue in the bottle to this very icy-blue in the glass. It's cool and sophisticated, and with the addition of the lemon and mint, I felt like I should be on holiday by the sea listening to ocean waves. But the bird song was just as nice and I had a gorgeous view of flowering cornflowers while I drank, so it all fitted nicely.
Botanical gin number 4: Geranium & Mallow
I celebrated World Gin Day with the Geranium and Mallow flavour gin. The sun had been out all day, so Sam and I decided to have a barbecue, despite the ominous rainclouds that had started to gather. I was halfway through enjoying this gin with a simple light tonic, watching Sam set up the firepit, when the heavens opened and quite literally put out our bonfire. We abandoned ship and continued to cook inside. My gin and tonic made up for the abrupt change of plans.
This gin was a winner for me. First of all, when you add the tonic, the colour changes from clear to a very delicate pink. But even without this charming party trick, I couldn't get enough of this gin and was disappointed when I found the glass empty.
I'm not sure what Mallow smells or tastes like, but I did get a bit of a floral, rosy undertone, which I attributed to the Geranium. Botanicals aside, this gin was so elegant, it just slipped right down and I would happily have a glass of this whenever I fancy a gin and tonic.
Botanical gin number 5: Pink Elderflower & Jasmine
The heatwaves returned, and I found the best way to enjoy a gin and tonic in the garden was while relaxing on a bean bag chair, in the only shady spot of my garden.
I'd really been looking forward to the pink Elderflower and Jasmine flavour, but it wasn't quite what I expected. It was refreshing, and who doesn't love a colourful cocktail? Like all the gins I had previously tried so far, it was very delicate and not too sweet, but it was a bit too sharp in aftertaste for me. I just didn't enjoy it as much as the others.
This was still a very drinkable gin though, and if you, or any of your loved ones are gin and elderflower fans, I would give it a try. It's definitely something a little bit different.
Botanical gin number 6: Lavender & Echinacea
Finally, the last one - the purple one! Again, because of the very hot weather last week, I donned my sunhat, added plenty of ice, and retreated to the shadiest part of my garden to enjoy this little number. I had seen a cocktail recipe suggesting I mix this gin with lemon juice and honey. Perhaps it would have been delicious, but as much as I love drinking cocktails, if I am the one making them, it has to be simple. So a light tonic was added (fresh from the can), as well as a sprig of lavender, to honour the flavour and make it a bit fancier.
This final flavour was a pleasant surprise, because I honestly enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I usually find lavender flavours too floral. In this gin, the lavender was detectable, but subtle. With the addition of ice, it was super refreshing.
While drinking I felt more relaxed that I had in ages. Of course, Lavender has long been known to aid relaxation and sleep so it could have been a placebo affect. But whether it was the lavender in the gin, the summer heat, or just the fact that I was taking half an hour out of my day to drink a gin and tonic in the garden, I practically melted into my bean bag before I had even finished the glass.
I am not usually one to go crazy over the colour of a drink, but I have to say, when you are splashing out on a nice gin, it really adds a nice touch if the spirit is a pretty colour. The lilac colour of this gin was gorgeous, and helped to remind me that I was drinking something special. I felt it almost gave me permission to linger over it, rather than smash it down. If you know any tired, gin-loving folks who need an excuse to kick back properly, a bottle of this gin might just do it!
Favourites
So, do I have a favourite? The short answer is no but the long answer is that there were four that I would definitely consider buying a larger bottle of. But although I did prefer some over others, I would happily drink any of these gins again. They all had something in common: they were elegant, soft and any pronounced flavours were subtle, keeping them very drinkable.
The Lemon Verbena was excellent. If you like spirits that are simple but a bit unique, this could be a good option for you. I would drink this year round.
The Geranium and Mallow is also very neat. The colour changing aspect when you add the tonic presents a fun element if you are entertaining. But it is also just a delicious gin. The slightly floral undertone is there but it didn't dominate the flavour in any way.
If you're after aesthetics as well as taste, the Cornflower and Chamomile and Lavender and Echinacea are both excellent choices in my opinion. The colours of both will lift the spirit when they splash out into your glass. While it may sound a bit pretentious to the match gin to the season, I reckon the Cornflower and Chamomile would be particuarly lovely in spring, especially garnished with mint leaves, when they are at their freshest. Meanwhile the Lavender and Echinacea definitely suits lazy, hot days in midsummer.
I hope you enjoyed this review. Please do check out The Old Curiosity Distillery if you're a gin, or even a herb fan. They are UK based and grow the ingredients they use in their products. I hope to continue supporting them in years to come.
Thank you for reading.
Have a great week.
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