Silverback Gin

A fantastic new gin from Hampshire. Silverback Gin is a “Mountain Strength Gin” made by the Gorilla Spirits Co. located in Four Marks near Alton in Hampshire. The distillery is situated at the highest point in Hampshire. The owner and founder is Andy Daniels who has spent four years building up to the first release of Silverback Gin in December 2015. He is the now the proud owner of a state of the art distillery and the gin is flowing!

Silverback gin is a small batch gin made using a pure wheat base spirit as the clean background to allow the expression of the carefully chosen botanicals to come to the fore. The gin is distilled in Gorilla Spirits’ copper still which is nicknamed Mugwaneza (which means “she who is content” in Kinrwandan).
Silverback Gin is now available at Fareham Wine Cellar.

Silverback Gin

The botanicals in Silverback Gin include,

Juniper
Coriander
Angelica
Sweet Orange
Calamus Root
Acacia Blossom
Lemongrass

Of course, gin must contain juniper as a botanical by law and coriander, angelica and sweet orange are fairly common gin botanicals. The next three are a little more unusual. Calamus Root is also known as sweet flag, myrtle grass, sweet cinnamon, pine root and the rhizomes have traditionally been used in medicines, fragrance and bitters. The powdered rhizome has also been used as a subsitute for ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. It adds warmth and spiciness to the gin. Acacia Blossom adds brings a sweet, honeyed note whilst lemongrass gives a clean, citrus-y finish. It is a very modern style of gin with the botanicals at the fore and the juniper in the background. Technically this is a London Dry Gin, i.e. the spirit base is redistilled once in the presence of the botanicals with no sweetening added, but is bottled at sold as Mountain Strength Gin at 46% ABV.

A superb gin that can be drunk neat or over ice, it also makes a fantastic gin and tonic. Gorilla Spirits recommend Peter Stanton Drinks No 9 Cardamon Tonic Water to make the ultimate G’n’T. The heady cardamon fragrance and green freshness of the tonic water match perfectly with Silverback Gin. Garnish with an inch long strip of orange to complement the sweet orange citrus botanical in the gin.

For every bottle of gin sold in the UK, depending on the strength, approximately  £15 goes straight to the HMRC, frightening isn’t it? Gorilla Spirits also add GAT (Gorilla Added Tax) and for every bottle of Silverback Gin sold £1 goes directly to The Gorilla Foundation who are working to save the last remaining gorillas from extinction.

Don’t forget to check out Twisted Nose Watercress Gin from Arlesford and Conker Gin from Bournemouth for a couple other local gins!