Isle of Harris Gin

A simply stunning bottle of coastal gin. A well-defined juniper note with pine needles, followed by the fresh citrus notes of bitter orange, lime and grapefruit. Refreshing, with good balance between the bitter juniper and pine and the sweet fruit flavours of mango, grapefruit and orange. A green herb flavour of crushed coriander develops. Distinctive and smooth with a dry, flinty taste. Overall a long, clean finish.

• Distillery: Harris Distillery
• Type: London Dry Gin
  
• Region: Outer Hebrides, Scotland
  
• Alcohol: 45%
  
• Volume: 700ml
• Goes with: Ice, premium tonic, citrus and/or fresh mint garnish

The award-winning Isle of Harris Gin is made in Harris Distillery's home village of Tarbert, every drop distilled in a small copper gin still known as 'The Dottach', before being bottled and sealed by hand. A beautifully designed bottle captures the elemental nature of the Isle of Harris, while its contents reward the discerning gin drinker with refreshing maritime pleasures. The inclusion of local, hand-harvested Sugar Kelp speaks of our island's deep connections to the sea while working with eight other carefully chosen botanicals. 

"FOR, WITH, AND FROM THE ISLE OF HARRIS

OUR ISLAND STORY BEGINS

The Isle of Harris Distillery began with a simple idea. The inspiration came from Anderson 'Burr' Bakewell, who has been bound to this island through a long connection with nearby Scarp, and many decades of life spent among the landscapes of Harris and people of our community. He believed that the rare and elusive spirit of this island could be captured in a bottle and shared with the world. Over the decades Burr, like many others, noted with sadness the long-term decline in the island's population, our community's numbers having halved over the last fifty years. As young people left our shores to seek their fortune, few were able to return to find work, set down roots and build a life in the place they called home. He believed that a distillery, built for not just years but for generations, could be a way to help stem this tide. So, he gathered a group of like-minded individuals around him and set out on a seven year journey to bring his ambitions to reality.

September 24th 2015 saw his simple idea finally come to fruition as the doors to the Isle of Harris Distillery opened for the first time. That day, we gathered to light an inaugural fire in our distillery hearth. Three generations of Hearaich, the Gaelic word for the people of Harris, each placed a fàd, or block, of peat on the blaze to mark the occasion. We then threw the largest ceilidh the island had ever seen with hundreds of our fellow islanders joining us in the cask warehouse for a night of music, dancing and song, as the first of our island spirit flowed.

The distillery started life with just 10 people and an ambition to double this number over the next five years. Today, we're proud to say we employ almost 40 permanent staff, a highly significant number in an island of fewer than 2000 inhabitants. In these early days of our history, it is clear that Burr's vision is already making a real difference here in the Isle of Harris. As a catalyst for positive change within our community, we continue to work with purpose, bringing new life to our island and supporting its aspirations to survive and thrive as we move forward together to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

THE BOTTLE - DETAILS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

The Isle of Harris Gin bottle exhibits carefully considered design from the moment it is opened. A simple paper seal, applied by hand here in Harris, bears the coordinates of our island distillery as a promise of provenance.

The Portuguese wooden stopper and cork is branded with our distillery logo and fits perfectly into the glass pourer.

The rippled glass evokes the maritime elements of our island, from the wind-blown seas of Luskentyre to the sweeping sands of Seilebost. There are subtle irregularities in form, curves and dimples which seem to effortlessly fit into the hand. The tactile lines become smooth in places, as if worn by tides like a piece of flotsam or jetsam.

The paper label holds flecks of Sugar Kelp and copper, each one different with over 20 unique iterations.

The reassuring weight of the bottle is held within a crafted solid base, from which rises the colour of summer Harris seas.

Underneath hides a Latin motto to live by, Esse Quam Videri. This is our founder Burr's family motto, in recognition of all his efforts in creating the distillery. It means "To Be, Rather Than Seem To Be", a reminder to remain authentic in everything we do." Isle of Harris Distillery

• 'Scottish Gin Distillery of the Year' - 2018 Scottish Gin Awards
  
• Bronze - 2018 World Gin Awards - London Dry Gin