Dougie Maclean was commissioned by The Loch Ness Visitor Centre to write a Scottish fiddle tune which subsequently featured in the soundtrack of The Last Of The Mohicans - The Gael.  The original tune is haunting and beautiful, with a tempo you will find your heart beating alongside, but the orchestration for the movie is slower and melancholic.  I find the music to be quite emotional, especially due to the connection to the movie, so when I had the opportunity to review a gin inspired by it, I could not resist.  

With backgrounds in the drinks and music industry, a partnership between four friends;  Nigel, Beverley, Jamie and Tanya, was struck while they were enjoying a bit too much gin - their words!  Dougie is Jamie's father and so it was agreed that the natural musical choice to include in their brand would be The Gael.  The music score can be seen through the bottle label and the gin is currently contract distilled by a personal friend of Nigel's, Rickie Christie, at Strathleven Distillery.

Strathleven Distillery, in Dumbarton, is one of the few Scottish gin distilleries who create grain to glass spirits.  Being of Scottish heritage, the ideal was to use a malted barley base spirit for The Gael Gin.  This is dominant and rich on the nose and gives a slightly whisky aroma.  The barley mellows the juniper notes and is quite light yet warming. Not being juniper forward, it's classed as a contemporary gin, but it certainly keeps all the characteristics that a gin should have.  Had I not done some research, I would have assumed it had rested in whisky barrels for a period before being bottled, but this is all the work of the malted barley base.

The Gael Gin is one you could sip on over ice or pair with ginger ale - both of which I tried and really enjoyed, however the serve here is from their website and is an adaptation of an Old Fashioned.  The use of maple syrup makes this a rich and unctuous drink and I can see myself making this again and again - it may well be my ruin, although I have now run out of waffles!

The Gael is currently being exported to several countries and interest internationally for it is growing.  With the connection to a very well known movie, as well as the excellent reputation Scotland has for producing gin, it's sure to be well received wherever it lands.  However, this is not a novelty gin - it's beautifully made, winning Bronze medals with the IWSC in both 2020 and 2021.

Botanicals:  juniper, heather, cardamom, coriander, cassia bark, liquorice, orange peel, lemon peel, angelica, orris root

View review on Hype here

The Music to The Gael can be found on YouTube  - the original as well as the version for the movie.

DOES SIZE MATTER?

Is bigger really better?  We're talking gin of course!  The words craft gin and small batch gin are thrown about these days but the definition of a craft gin is a gin that is distilled in small batches by a distiller or brand that has a passion for creating beautiful spirits.  

There is an emphasis on craftmanship, rather than mass producing gin, which is retailed for a much lower cost.  There is nothing wrong with gin produced in volume but it's way more exciting to explore the world of small-batch gin and support these producers who are making gin out of love and not just money.  

I'll move on, as I'm sure some may see this as an unpopular opinion, because many small-batch producers will be using a base spirit produced in large volumes, so where do you draw the line?  

The high and lowlands of Scotland have seen some turbulent times throughout history but today the country is possibly best known for haggis and whisky.  If you are a ginthusiast like me, then you will also be aware of the growing number of Scottish gin distilleries and brands that have come to market over the past few years.  My gin shelves are bowing under the weight of many fabulous Scottish gins and there are so many that I am still keen to try.

Early in 2018, the McVicar brothers, Euan and Stuart, established The Biggar Gin Co in South Lanarkshire and they base their business on a philosophy which is centred around Biggar Mentality.  Whilst the gin is small batch, their passion, ambition and taste is big and reflect the history of their local town, which has always welcomed innovation. They have created a brand that punches above its own weight and is proud of its origins.   Their ethos carries through their branding with their over-sized labels reinforcing the fact that their gin is small batch, but has a Biggar mentality.  

The greyhound icon is a nod to The Biggar Social Club which was founded in 1821 for proprietors and gentlemen who raced their greyhounds across the fields of Biggar.  When the club went into decline a few decades later, it changed from a coursing club to a social club and subscription fees were used to purchase fine wines and spirits, which were stored in the Biggar Corn Exchange.  The calm and intelligent looking greyhound icon is therefore their way to remember a society of connoisseurs who appreciated a fine drink.

Biggar Gin use locally sourced botanicals, which marry beautifully alongside traditional botanicals.  They mix tradition and innovation and the result is a beautiful craft gin which has won awards from the start.  Their flagship product is their Original Recipe and this is produced in batches of under 140 bottles per run.  

The botanical lineup includes Including juniper, coriander seeds, cardamom, cassia bark, orange, lemon, rosehip, rowan berries, nettles, pink peppercorn and lavender and it's bottled at 43%.  Being a London Dry Gin it also reflects their values of combining tradition with innovation, the very essence of #biggarmentality.

RECIPE:

WHITE LADY COCKTAIL 

(from the Biggar Gin website)

50ml Original Biggar Gin

22.5 ml Orange Liqueur 

22.5 ml lemon juice

15ml sugar syrup

Egg white 

Method

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until chilled.

Remove the ice (reverse dry shake) and shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds. 

Double strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a little lemon peel.