Kirkjuvagr Orkney Gin
Kirkjuvagr · Orkney Distilling Ltd.
An assertive, terroir-driven Orkney gin that wears its harsh North Atlantic origins proudly — beautifully balanced between traditional juniper backbone and the foraged botanicals of a windswept archipelago.
Nose
Fresh juniper leads, threaded with bright lemon peel and a green, herbaceous lift from angelica. Beneath sits a faint maritime salinity and the dry, hay-like whisper of burnet rose, with subtle warmth from coriander seed.
Palate
Crisp and oily on entry, with piney juniper at the core. Mid-palate brings citrus zest, ramanas rose hip, and a savoury angelica root depth. Borage flower adds a cool, cucumber-edged greenness, while a touch of pepper and earthy orris keep the structure firm.
Finish
Long and dry, with lingering juniper resin, sea-salted citrus oil, and a faintly floral, almost windswept-meadow note that fades slowly.
- Style
- Contemporary Scottish Dry Gin with foraged coastal botanicals
- Botanicals
- Juniper, blueberries, blackberries, cranberries
- Base Spirit
- Grain Neutral Spirit
Cocktail Suggestion
The Selkie's Tide — 50ml Kirkjuvagr Orkney Gin, 15ml dry vermouth, 5ml Manzanilla sherry, 2 dashes celery bitters. Stir over ice for 25 seconds, strain into a chilled coupe, express a strip of lemon peel and discard. Garnish with a single pickled samphire frond.
Food Pairing
Pan-seared Orkney scallops with brown butter and capers, or smoked mackerel on rye with crème fraîche and dill.
Distilled in Kirkwall by a family-run operation that revived a Norse-era spirit tradition, using locally foraged angelica, burnet rose, and ramanas rose hip gathered along Orkney's storm-battered shores.
Be the first to comment.
Leave a comment
Whitley Neill Blood Orange Gin
Whitley Neill
Whitley Neill's Blood Orange expression works because it respects the gin beneath the flavoring. The blood orange is vivid without being syrupy, and the juniper-forward base keeps it honest. It's a gin that makes a spectacular spritz but doesn't embarrass itself neat — a rare feat in the flavored gin category.
Rhum Clément Cuvée Homère Rhum Agricole Vieux
Rhum Clément
Cuvée Homère is Clément's tribute to founder Homère Clément, and it showcases what extended aging does to quality rhum agricole. The cane character remains at the foundation, but the oak and oxidative aging add layers that rival fine cognac in complexity. This is a sipping rum that demands — and rewards — your full attention.
G.D. Vajra Barolo Albe DOCG 2019
G.D. Vajra
Vajra's Albe bottling is the entry point to the estate's Barolo range, sourced from younger vines across multiple village plots. It delivers textbook Nebbiolo character — roses, tar, cherry — at a price that makes it one of the best introductions to Barolo available. Give it a thirty-minute decant and watch it bloom.
Domaine Weinbach Riesling Réserve Personnelle 2023
Domaine Weinbach
The Réserve Personnelle is Weinbach's calling card — a wine that captures the Clos des Capucins terroir with clarity and restraint. The 2023 vintage delivers the crystalline precision that makes Alsatian Riesling one of the world's great white wine styles. Hand-harvested, hand-sorted, and vinified with minimal intervention, it's a pure expression of place and practice.
Whitley Neill Blood Orange Gin
Whitley Neill
Whitley Neill's Blood Orange expression works because it respects the gin beneath the flavoring. The blood orange is vivid without being syrupy, and the juniper-forward base keeps it honest. It's a gin that makes a spectacular spritz but doesn't embarrass itself neat — a rare feat in the flavored gin category.
Gin Lane 1751 Royal Strength London Dry Gin
Gin Lane 1751
Gin Lane 1751 doesn't reinvent anything — it perfects the template. Master distiller Charles Maxwell, with over four decades at Thames Distillers, has produced a gin that proves London Dry's enduring relevance. The elevated proof ensures it punches through tonic and holds its shape in a Martini. Honest, rigorous work.
Bombay Sapphire London Dry Gin
Bombay Sapphire
Bombay Sapphire's vapor-infusion method produces a gin that's lighter and more aromatic than many London Drys, letting its ten botanicals speak individually rather than blurring together. At 47% ABV, it carries enough weight for cocktails while remaining supremely sippable over ice. A benchmark for a reason.
Musgrave Copper Gin
Musgrave
Musgrave Copper Gin is a South African craft expression that leans into juniper and spice rather than chasing the contemporary citrus-bomb trend. Its slight roughness — that peppery, resinous quality — makes it a gin with real backbone. Excellent in a Negroni where its structure can stand up to Campari and vermouth.