Autumn spirits roundup

Autumn is most definitely here bringing with it cosy nights in front of a box set (or 3) with your slippers on and a tasty short or long drink.

Here is our round up of our favourite, new and lesser known Autumn tipples across multiple categories that would make those cosy nights even cosier!

The Gins

Caorunn Highland Strength (54% ABV)

Scottish botanicals in abundance. Peppery, fruity and herbaceous gin with a strong juniper character. Garnish with red apple slices and orange oil twisted over the surface. This stuff is absolutely made for delicious cocktails! Master of Malt – £40 (70cl).

Mary-Le-Bone Orange & Geranium Gin (46.2% ABV)

If you are looking for something really different, you’ve found it! This is a small batch featuring eight botanicals; sweet orange peel, geranium, juniper, coriander, lemon peel, cassia bark, angelica root and orris root. The bottle certainly brightens up the drinks cabinet too! Sainsbury’s – £28.50 (50cl).

Keepr’s London Gin With Honey (40% ABV) AND Raspberry & Honey Gin (37.5% ABV)

Ooooh we like these! Brimming with very British botanicals including its 100% raw British honey from the brand’s very own fully traceable beehives, these are alive with fresh flavour. These are smooth, delicious and VERY drinkable with tonic or in a cocktail. https://britishhoney.co.uk £37.50 (70cl).

Barentsz Handcrafted Gin (43% ABV)

Infused with Jasmine flowers from China as well as eight other botanicals, Barentsz is the gin staple you need in your collection. Expect ultra smooth, true and crisp flavours that’s actually good enough to drink straight! Amazon £32.95 (70cl).

Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin (43% ABV)

Did you know gin & tonic was originally discovered in India in the 1820’s as a means for the British officers to ward off malaria! With a Jaisalmer and tonic in hand, close your eyes and sip. You’re zipped back to the ages of the maharajas, tasting the 11 Indian botanicals subtly coming through – peppery notes meets crisp coriander meets fresh orange meets lemongrass. Absolutely delicious! Master Of Malt £35 (70cl).

CBD CRAFT GIN – NAVY STRENGTH (54.5% ABV)

Here’s something a little different, CBD gin. Produced by Top Beverages, this Navy Strength gin gives you juniper berries, coriander seeds, angelica root, orris root, elderflower, lemon peel, lime peel and fresh Valencian orange, as well as a very special ingredient, 10 mg of premium full spectrum CBD. Oh yes… very relaxing if we may say so ourselves. If you’re sold on the positive benefits of CBD, this is well worth adding to the collection. www.top-beverages.com £30 (100ml).

CBD Craft Spiced Rum – Navy Strength (54.5% ABV)

There really is nothing not to like about Top Beverages, small batch CBD Craft Spiced Rum. This navy strength rum offers 10 mg of premium full spectrum CBD and notes of cassia bark, orange peel, ginger and Indian vanilla pods. It’s incredibly drinkable, and will leave you rather relaxed to say the least. www.top-beverages.com £20.00 (100ml).

Choc-O-Bloc Gin (40% ABV)

If you love novel, then you’ll love this chocolate flavoured gin. Choc-O-Bloc Gin is in our eyes, nothing short of a revolution. The last thing you expect to taste when you pour out this clear liquid is chocolate, but it’s there and right in your face. Personally, we prefer this in a cocktail rather than with tonic, a Choc-A-Block negroni is absolutely where it’s at! Amazon £20 (50cl).

Forced ‘Darkeside’ Rhubarb Gin Based Liqueur

Another belter from Manchester’s Original artisan micro-distillery, Zymurgorium, this Forced ‘Darkeside’ Rhubarb Gin will certainly brighten your drinks cabinet up if nothing else! As it’s a gin liqueur you will find it already quite sweet on the palette so best served with a club soda if you want our opinion. The rhubarb flavour is clear and crisp. Oh, we do like this one! Amazon £20 (50cl).

VII Hills Italian Dry Gin (43% ABV)

Not something we’ve tried before, this Italian gin is refined, chic and fruity. Containing 7 botanicals (artichoke, blood orange, celery, rose hip, pomegranate, Roman camomile and juniper) found within the hills that surround Rome, this gin is made with a sugar-beet base, which offers up a slight sweetness you’d not necessarily expect. Master Of Malt £30 (70cl).

Dockyard Gin (41.2% ABV)

As the name suggests, Dockyard Gin is made at Chatham Docks and is also a nod to traditional naval gins. It offers a dry, citrus floral top note followed by a sweet, spicy mid note that goes eloquently with a slice of orange peel and a Mediterranean flavoured Fever Tree, delicious. See if you can pick out the green cardamons! Available everywhere £29.99 (50cl)

Penrhos Apple & Elderflower and Rhubarb Gin (40.7% ABV)

Celebrate real, organic English countryside ingredients from the heart of Herefordshire with these two stunning gins. What we like about these gins is the way the flavours really shine through, a huge concentration of sweetness that lingers on the tongue for ages. Penrhos achieve this by soaking the fruits for 24 hours in the alcohol, then adding the 14 fabulous botanicals for a further 24 hour so as the flavours blend.

Penrhos gins are small-batch and are packed with 14 hand-picked, delicious botanicals. Amazon £33 (70cl)

Lone Wolf Gin (40% ABV)

Created by those super cool Punks over at Brewdog, Lone Wolf Gin packs juniper attitude and flavour by the truckload. Botanicals include Juniper, Scots pine, fresh grapefruit peel, fresh lemon peel, coriander seed, cardamom, angelica root, orris root, Thai lemongrass, pink peppercorn, kaffir lime leaf, mace, almond and lavender flower. Amazon £37 (70cl).

Rosemullion Harvest Gin (40% ABV)

Crafted by a talented duo of chemists, Andy and Liz Bradbury, Rosemullion Autumn Gin is new for 2019. The spirit base is impressively made from scratch in small batches (100 bottles at a time) using Cornish rainwater no less. This is an award winner no less, picking up Gold at the internationally-recognised SIP Awards. After a glass of this gorgeous tipple( with tonic), it’s very clear to see how. The tasting notes are autumnal Cornish fruit including apple, plum, raspberry, blackberry and sloe as well as a dozen carefully selected botanicals including juniper, coriander, angelica root, liquorice and black pepper). Expect to see more delights from the Rosemullion team. https://rosemulliondistillery.com £38 (70cl).

The vodka

Vela Vodka (40% ABV)

Manufactured in small batches, Vela vodka is quite simply a stunner. Pop it in the freezer and freshen up the palette with a squeeze of lime just before desert, you’ll find distinguished notes of cereal and fruit flavours with a pink peppercorn finish. Available everywhere £28.99 (50cl).

Hepple Douglas Fir Vodka (41% ABV)

This English superstar definitely deserves a place on our list of top autumn tipples. Triple distilled by Hepple (also known for their delicious Hepple Gin), we believe this is best served on ice to allow for the flavours to burst through. Pine is immediately obvious, along with sweet ripe melon and tropical fruit, with undertones of grapefruit zest. We’ve also been tipped off to try with Indian tonic and a melon garnish as an alternative to gin. This is going to be a hit at Christmas. The Whisky Exchange £30 (50cl).

The wildcards

Lanique (39% AVB)

A 200-year-old spirit liqueur created from steam-distilling thousands of hand-picked rose petals that are sourced from the Middle East. Once steam distilled, the rose petals release The Attar of Rose which is then added in a slow, multi-part process with sugars and a neutral grain spirit. The rose petals provide the distinctive pink colour, which goes well with lemonade or tonic water as a tasty alternative to a Gin and Tonic. Amazon £29.50 (70 cl).

Grahams Blend No.5 White Port (19% ABV)

If you’re ‘ginned-out’ or simply fancy trying some new and exciting flavours to put with your tonic, then Grahams Blend No.5 White Port could be your knight in shining armour. This is a refreshing tipple with low ABV and a very affordable price tag to boot. It’s made using two Portuguese grape varieties – Malvasia Fina and Moscatel Gallego, which are then cold-fermented in small batches creating a fresh, aromatic young port that you’ll love in the rocks, in cocktails or with tonic. We have to mention the bottle too, which has been designed by

illustrator Antonio Soares, and is simply stunning. So, not only will this add an air of sophistication to your drinks cabinet, but you’ll also likely find a delicious alternative to gin. Harvey Nichols £25 (75CL).

Strathclyde Premium Octave 28 yr old whisky (50.4% ABV)

If you’re feeling particularly flush and love a wee dram, you’ll thank us for recommending Strathclyde Premium Octave 28 yr old whisky by Duncan Taylor. Part of a new Octave™ Premium Range, this sophisticated and rare whisky is certainly leaves a good impression. Having sat in sherry casks for almost 30 years you can expect an intense and deep flavour, which will leave you very satisfied, but longing for more! The Spirits Embassy £180 (70cl).

Pierre Ferrand Ten Generations Cognac (46% ABV)

Oh, we do love a good cognac on an Autumnal evening and we’ve certainly uncovered one here. Crafted exclusively using eaux-de-vie made of Ugni-Blanc grapes, Ten Generations Cognac is aged in French oak with 20% in sweet Sauternes wine casks, which provides an absolute corker ideal for those who enjoy a rich palette. Amazon £38 (50cl).