Our Process

The process of making great gin is an art form, it takes time, patience and attention to detail. It is this precision, partnered with expert skill and the finest ingredients that ensures our gin is outstanding. We only use the highest quality neutral grain spirit and botanicals to create our award-winning gins.

Our small batch distillation process begins first thing in the morning by meticulously weighing out the botanicals, which are then added to the still with a charge of wheat neutral grain spirit which is diluted to 60% ABV. The botanicals contain essential oils, it is the extraction of these essential oils from the spirit and heat that gives the gin its unique flavour. 

The still is then closed and the heater is switched on to allow a gentle warming of the still. This warming process allows the botanicals to release their oils for distillation. The temperature is then increased which makes the charge boil. The liquid then turns into vapour which rises through the copper plate in our reflux column, passing through a condenser where the vapour turns back into liquid.

The distillation takes eight hours and is separated in three parts; the heads, the hearts and the tails. The first liquid to flow from the still is the head, this is discarded as it is harsh and unappealing. The middle part of the run is the heart, this holds the most refined flavours and aromas from the distillation as this is the highest quality spirit and has the best blend of botanical oils. This is the only part of the distillation that we use. The last part of the run is the tail, this lacks flavour and is not of a standard we find acceptable for our gin and is also discarded.

The heart produces around 92 litres at 83% ABV, this is left for 5-7 days to mellow and relax, allowing the flavours to settle and come together. Pure filtered Scottish water is then added to reduce the ABV to bottling strength, the gin is then bottled and packed on site before leaving the distillery. 

This process is known as a one fold, or single-shot distillation. We only bottle the purest hearts that come off the still, we don’t believe in adding more neutral grain spirit to the distilled batch to increase the number of bottles produced from each run. We also don’t chill filter our gin (a process to ensure the gin stays crystal clear) as this removes botanical oils and strips away some of the flavour. You will notice this when you add ice or cold tonic to the gin (or leave it in the fridge) as the oils become cloudy. 

This is an expensive way to make gin, but we believe it is the best way as it ensures the best quality and flavour is achieved. The resulting gin is incredibly smooth, full of flavour with a lingering finish that leaves you wanting more.