- Distillery: Ian MacLeod Distillers (Edinburgh, Scotland)
- ABV: 42%
- Type: London Dry Gin
- Botanicals: Orange, Mulberries, Pine Buds, Lavender & Lemongrass.
- Tasting Notes: Juniper, Flora & Citrus
Ian Macleod Distillers
You may not have heard of Ian Macleod Distillers, but you will almost certainly have encountered one of their brands. Edinburgh Gin, Glengoyne, Tamdhu, and Smokehead are all bottled under the Macleod banner
Today, Edinburgh gin is Scotland’s most purchased gin, and one of the city’s main visitor attractions.
Tasting Notes
NB* – believe it or not, Edinburgh gin is always rated as poor or average gin. Online, it is often touted as a cheap tourist trap cop-out, but the truth couldn’t look more different. We blind tasted 8 of Scotland’s most popular gins, and Edinburgh Gin was picked as the best by the majority of participants.
Nose (Aroma): Heavy on juniper, with a punchy opening note. This settles down into notes of pine, lavender, garden herbs and citrus from lemongrass. The body of the gin is extremely well balanced and sits nicely with tonic. While some gins can lean too heavily towards Juniper or floral botanicals, the Edinburgh Gin classic finds an almost perfect balance between the two contrasts.
Finish: The lingering notes are piney notes of Juniper with a little hint of citrus fruits and sweetness. It is a very palatable gin with a surprising level of complexity.
The Verdict & Rating
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Who it’s for: A lover of classic London Dry gin. It’s not fancy; it doesn’t contain any unique or interesting botanicals, but it’s bloody delicious. This gin is ideal for a speed rail or on your home bar, as a house gin.
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Who might pass: There are few people who would hate this gin. It is a solid winner.
Edinburgh gin gets a bad reputation. There is nothing that the brand has done themselves; they appear to simply have fallen victim to their own success. Oftentimes, when things get too big, the target becomes too; and I strongly believe this is true for this particular gin.
The gin has almost perfect balance. It is a lovely little twist on the classic London Dry, without being too showy about it. With high notes of Juniper, and subtle notes of flowers and herbs, it’s a clean, crisp, and morish crowd-pleaser. In blind testing, this is a very clear winner and I will continue to ignore the haters. They know not what they do.
Love to hear what you think; please leave a comment.
