Well, I’m back! After a bit of a break, suffering from writers block (read as “researching” Gins), taking some time off with the family (read as hoping the kids provide me with some more content) and adding another member to our family (more about that later!). So here we are, over a month into the new year. Gin Daddies is now 1 year old and I’d like to thank you all for all your support over the last 12 months, who knew you would want to listen to our ramblings? But you do and with Christmas behind us, I now have a backlog of Gins to review, so you can expect even more blog posts to brighten up your days.
I actually do not know what happened to January, it seems like only yesterday I was trying to find the kids school bags and get them ready for the first day back. Which reminds me, while rummaging through T2’s school bag I found a copy of a poem titled “Fire and Ice”. It looks like he was given this just before Christmas and he clearly enjoyed the poem so much that he decided to have a go at re-writing it! Now I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure he will not be appointed Poet Laureate anytime soon with this little masterpiece. I applaud his creativity, his bravery to tackle such a difficult subject, the use of purple felt tip, the clear markup of the document and his fantastic final rhyming couplet to change the whole structure of the poem, but I think I’ll be quietly removing this from his bag and be thankful this one will not be mentioned at parents evening! So for it’s one and only public viewing, I give you (drum roll) “Poo and Wee”:
Now, as I promised earlier, I have some big news, our Gin Daddies family grew by one last week! That’s right, if things were not crazy enough, we decided to add another to the mix. Our Twitter and Facebook followers will have already met him, but here is our new bundle of joy!
#GinDoggy is our beautiful 3 year old rescue Dalmatian. He’s a very big, bouncy boy, who is so full of love. His ears are broken, which in our noisy household is probably an advantage! Thanks to the amazing people at the Dalmatian Adoption Society for everything they do to keep these dogs safe, look after them and re-home them. I’m sure #GinDoggy will feature in future blogs as he creates havoc with T1, T2 and the +1.
What else have I been up to? Well for Christmas my wife bought me a very special bottle of Gin and a distillery tour. Not one to waste time I booked it in for the earliest opportunity in January. The tour was at the 6 O’clock Gin distillery and the Gin she bought me was 6 O’clock Gin’s limited edition 5 year aged Sloe Gin.
Now there are tours and there are TOURS! This definitely falls into the latter. When I arrived I was greeted with the perfect question: “Would you like a G&T?”. Now, this is a big start and I’m hoping it continues on this trend as I reply with a yes. “Double?” well now we are talking! As I sit down with a perfectly served G&T in my very own 6 O’Clock Copa glass, we are given a little presentation on the history of Gin and the history of the company and the family behind 6 O’Clock Gin. It’s a lovely touch that humanises a brand and allows you to feel you know a bit more about them and why they are so passionate about what they do. Once the presentation had finished we are encouraged to “walk our G&Ts” as we are guided through the distillery. Of course the star of the tour is the beautiful ‘Kathleen’. Custom made and solar powered she is a work of art and helps to produce the incredibly smooth Gin.
As we move from one room to the next we are handed tasters of fruit liquers and Gins while we are presented with information on production and bottling and encouraged to ask questions. Back upstairs at the bar and we are given a sample of 6 O’Clock Gins Brunel Edition Gin and taken through a guided tasting session. This starts with how best to smell/taste the Gin and a quiz as to what the additional botanicals contained in the Brunel Edition are. Finally we were asked if there were any other Gins or fruit liquers we would like to taste. This was a lovely way to finsih the tour and for me, just goes to show how a company is so confident of their products that they want you to sampple as many as you like and ask questions about them. This is a fantastic tour and a great opportunity to see just how friendly and inviting the industry is. 6 O’Clock gin still retain that family business ethos and their passion for their products is infectious. If you are ever in the area then this is well worth booking a place on, I promise you, you will not be dissapointed!
Ahh! Not to forget the other part of my Christmas present, The 5 year old Sloe Gin. Now I’m not a fan of Sloe Gin and so this was a risky gift for my wife to buy, however, the quality of 6 O’Clock Gins lineup, speaks volumes and yet again, my wife chose amazingly well! Limited to just 999 bottles, 6 O’Clock Gin have taken their super smooth London Dry Gin and steeped it with Sloes for five years. This produces a much sweeter, fruitier and deeper flavour than what a normal Sloe Gin posses. By leaving the Sloe Gin to age for years rather than months (which would be the normal process) it also picks up a slight nuttiness from the Sloe stones, culminating in an almost port like taste. So, the ultimate question – has this changed my feelings about Sloe Gin? Well, yes, but this sets a new benchmark in terms of just how good Sloe Gin can be. The best things clearly come to those who wait (even if it is 5 years).
Price Paid
£50.
Tastes Like
The most incredible mix of a Gin with the complexity of a good Port. Fruity with a nutty hint.
Would go well with
Peace and quiet! Pour a glass, sit back, relax and savour every drop.
Recommended?
If you hadn’t guessed – YES! If you are lucky enough to get your hands on a bottle of this, you will not regret it.
