Small-batch handcrafted Hampshire gin from the Portsmouth Distillery, which is located in Fort Cumberland, a former fortification erected to guard the entrance to Langstone Harbour in Portsmouth. It was distilled using two stills, a 500 litre pot still made in China and a 4 plate column still, with a selection of botanicals including locally-foraged elderflower, gorse flowers and sea radish. Juniper, lime, sweet orange, red peppercorns and Szechuan pepper are also present.
The name isn't the only reference to the distillery's location. The label art features a plan of the fort, as well as the Portmouth Star and Crescent Coat of Arms. There is also a hidden map of Langstone Harbour inside the bottle which is topped with a copper stopper (a nod to the copper stills). It was bottled at 41% ABV because 4 + 1 = 5, representing the pentagonal design of Fort Cumberland. That's just good maths.
Juniper, citrus and soft floral notes are followed by warm honey, coriander spice nuances and a touch of salinity.
My favourite and No1 go to gin. Great for a standard G&T with a light tonic but equally robust and excellent to enjoy on its own.
