Who doesn't love a glass of sloe gin? Probably someone who's never tried a sloe gin before!

Sloe Gin is a category of gin that's technically a liqueur rather than a spirit. Its a traditional British drink that's been made for centuries in Britain from the fruit of the blackthorn bush, which would be macerated with gin and mixed with sugar. Historically, this was a homemade drink. British families in the English countryside would harvest the fruit of the blackthorn bush during the first frost season of the year. Each sloe berry would be pricked with a thorn taken from the blackthorn bush from which it was harvested, before being mixed with gin and sugar and sometime left to age in barrels.

These days, the production of sloe gin has naturally become commercialised, catering to the growing demand for sloe gin from consumers worldwide. I myself am one of the many happy consumers of sloe gin - I love it for all its sweet plummy, wintery flavours that are ever approachable and easy to sip. 

Recently, at a visit to Atlas Bar, I got a taste of the Plymouth Sloe Gin, recommended by Head Bartender and Gin Researcher Yana Keller. This Plymouth Sloe Gin was made by steeping sloe berries in Plymouth gin, soft Dartmoor water and some sugar for about four months. According to the distillery, they keep the sugar levels relatively low to allow the berries' flavours and dry acidity to still shine through.  

Let's give it a taste! 

Plymouth Sloe Gin - Tasting Notes

Colour: Plum red

Aroma: You're greeted with some initial sweet notes of plums, raisins and vanilla. There's also an undertone of oak shavings and angelica root, and a nice nutty touch of almonds that develops.

Taste: Deep, fruity and full-bodied. You get robust sweet notes of blackberries, sour plums, and licorice, accompanied by some aromatic wintery spices like cinnamon, angelica and cumin. There's a nice touch of acidity that allows this sloe gin to still retain a subtle kick. 

Finish: Medium, fading with subtle sweet notes of raspberry licorice candy, angelica root and cumin. 

Overall Thoughts: 

A really delicious and well-rounded sloe gin! You get those deep wintery dessert flavours of plums, cinnamon, blackberries and some slight nuttiness, delivered with a smooth, medium-bodied texture and balanced with some dryness and acidity. This is a sloe gin that's perfect for sipping neat, but can still hold up well when used as a base in cocktails. It also tastes amazing in a Sloe Gin Fizz, with the citric element brightening and balancing the flavours and making this drink even more refreshing! 

Happy sipping!

@lotusroot518