Snawstorm Gin - January 2021
Welcome to your first Scottish Gin Club box if 2021!
We wanted to start the year with a juniper-led gin and felt given the time of year it was fitting we featured one which has been inspired by hillwalking through the Cairngorm National Park - often in blizzards and storms!
Launched: August 2020
ABV: 42%
Location: Elgin, Speyside (distilled in Aberdeenshire)
The Snawstorm Spirits Story
Snawstorm Scottish Spirits was set up in 2019 by husband and wife team Leon and Susan Chessor. The aim was to create spirits with unique and interesting characteristics which celebrate the Scottish landscape.
Leon is a keen hillwalker and spends many hours climbing in Cairngorm National Park, often in blizzards and storms, and it was here that he had the idea to use the purest water which is collected from natural springs in the Cairngorms in their spirits.
Leon and Susan worked to create the brand and had a vision in mind for a brand that is as clean and crisp as the spirit itself. With a little Scottish twist on the wording, they arrived at Snawstorm.
The first product released was Snawstorm Scottish Vodka with the Snawstorm Highland Dry Gin following in August 2020.
Coming from the heart of the Speyside whisky region, both the spirits are made using a new-make spirit sourced from a local whisky distillery which provides a distinctive base to work from. The spirits are currently distilled at Lost Loch Distillery in Aberdeenshire, just a few miles outside Cairngorms National Park.
Leon and Susan knew from the outset that they wanted to create a London Dry gin with an abundance of juniper and citrus making a clean, balanced and refreshing spirit. The gin you have received is a combination of the 10th and 11th test recipe.
The highland dry gin distilled in small batches using a blend of grain, malted barley spirit and Cairngorm spring water.
There are a total of 11 botanicals used including juniper, coriander seeds, angelica root, lemon peel, cubeb, Scots pine needle, fresh lime peel, almonds, liqourice root, cassia bark and orange.
The water used in making Snawstorm Gin is one of the purest waters in the world. It flows from natural springs in the Scottish Mountains and spends around 50 years being gently filtered through the layers of underground rocks and crevices, collecting its unique properties.
To taste, the gin starts with piney juniper at the forefront leading to a fresh citrus zing combined with subtle sweetness. Exceptionally smooth on the palate the botanicals open up one by one to finish with a mellow earthy dryness.
Just a couple of months after its launch, Snawstorm Gin was a finalist in the at the London Dry Gin of the Year category at the Scottish Gin Awards 2020.
Serving Suggestions
We think the Highland Gin is best served over ice as a really classic G&T with a traditional tonic and a slice of lemon.
If you're not a fan of a classic tonic then we have included the Twisted Kaffir Lime & Lemongrass Tonic. This is a premium mixer which is a lot less bitter than tonic - almost like a cross between tonic and lemonade. When Leon tasted it with the gin he described the combination as 'simply delicious as a flavoured alternative'.
Snawstorm Gin also makes the perfect base for a number of cocktails. The flavour profile pairs really well with the other ingredients in a Negroni (bitters and Vermouth) for an incredible classic Negroni.