Sloe Gins to try this Autumn
Well its been a while since we posted anything on our blog and with the summer long gone and the dark evenings finally here I think now is the right time to try our selection of Sloe Gins we have at the Vodka Emporium.
Since last year there is one noticeable addition to the range and that is the new Adnams Sloe Gin from the Southwold Distillery in Suffolk.
Its a pretty fierce marketplace right now for this growing niche market and to make a mark you need to have something pretty impressive. Luckily in the past couple of years we have had some welcome additions.
The majority of everyday Sloe drinkers only ever buy a bottle of Gordons Sloe at the local Tesco. This to me is absolute sacrilege, many a time have I heard someone say they don’t like the drink and whenever asked they have only ever tried the supermarket line. Nine times out of ten when they try an alternative they actually like it!
Two lines stand out as great value and are decent quality, these are Haymans and Plymouth. Both make great everyday gins and recently both offer a great Sloe Gin.
Plymouth has a 26% ABV which is what you come to expect, on drinking the first thing that you notice is how much smoother this gin is compared to that of Gordons, this is down to the soft Dartmouth spring water that is used to distil the spirit. The Gin has a peppery aroma to it and isn’t overly sweet. A common mistake for those home made sloe gin fans is over doing the sugar! Overall you get a lovely blend that isn’t too sweet or to bitter. Plymouth Sloe Gin is great value for money and a great starting point in this category.
Haymans gin was last year voted the Number One Sloe Gin in the world and to be honest when you taste it you can see why. Haymans isn’t too overpowering and has a nice plum flavour that gives you a lingering finish. Haymans like Plymouth isnt overly sweet and the distinct dark plum aromas don’t over power it. Again Haymans is great value for money and really once you’ve tried this you wouldn’t ever consider going back to Gordons again.
With Sipsmith we notch it up a level. The Guys at this micro distillery in West London have produced a truly stunning Sloe Gin. Last years batch sold out pretty quickly and we fully expect the same to be the case again with this years superb batch.
Sipsmith Sloe is stronger than many of its rivals and comes in at a 29% ABV, don’t let this put you off as the truly wonderful flavours do not make it overpowering. This gin has a great taste of cherry and has a wintry spicy aroma to it as well. For me the best on the market at the moment as not only is it subtly different but it doesn’t leave the traditional sloe flavour behind. An outstanding tipple on a cold day out.
Finally we bring Adnams Copper House Sloe Gin to the table. Brand new to the market in September 2011 this has been eagerly awaited since our visit to Southwold last year and first heard of them toying with the idea of a Sloe Gin.
Well I can say that the wait was certainly worth it, an unusually light taste. A nice plummy aroma and surprisingly a hint of marzipan, this really is a smooth gin when you sip it and has the balance between sweetness and bitterness bang on. What really won me over was the lingering taste of gin which is unmistakeably Adnams, again a great gin on its own.
Overall if you want to try something on a budget then Plymouth and Haymans wont disappoint. Sipsmith is my personal favourite but Adnams is certainly close on its heels.