Whisky-Inspired Gin Begins to Flood the Market

The legendary Holyrood Distillery of Edinburgh, Scotland has released a Gin for connoisseurs who just simply enjoy the drink without the frills. Eschewing the herbal and floral additives that many gins leverage to make their mark on the industry the “Height Of Arrows” was devised with a whisky mindset. The creators at Holyrood drew from the simplicity of whisky distilling which relies on a strict handful of ingredients to achieve different flavors and characters rejecting the wide swath of botanicals that characterize so many flowery, fruity gins these days.

According to Holyrood,

“Height of Arrows is an elevated gin, distilled by a team of local whisky makers who are dedicated to shaping the spirit of tomorrow. Drawing on the idea that whisky’s myriad of flavours rely on a handful of ingredients, Height Of Arrows rejects the idea of numerous botanical additions.

We’ve stripped our gin stripped back to its core, juniper. In doing so the flavour profile, distinctive texture and mouth feel of Height of Arrows is evocative of a whisky drinking experience, which will appeal to more discerning audiences as well as the current crop of gin drinkers.”

The History and The Taste Of Àrd-Na-Said

Height of Arrows derives its name from a literal translation of Àrd-Na-Said, in Gaelic known as ‘Arthur’s Seat‘ a legendary hill about 824 feet tall which is the furthest distance in Scotland where an archer could fire a bow.

Nick Ravenhall, the Managing Director of Holyrood Distillery told Scotsman.com, “In Height of Arrows, we have made a gin that is distilled from our DNA as whisky makers. In whisky making, we work with simplicity. Barley, water, and yeast. We’ve taken this same mindset to Height of Arrows and created a complex gin born from juniper alone taking centre stage.”

“Our hope is that gin fans will be thrilled to explore a new direction in modern gin; one that elevates today’s gin drinking experience.”

The tasting notes reveal beeswax and salt providing “layers of texture” to the full-bodied gin. The Scottish Gin Society expanded on the distiller’s notes adding,

“Nose: A balanced presentation of clean fresh pine & resin coupled with light citrus zest
Palate: Initially oily and mouth coating with juicy and rich orange zest and lemon pith then a bold emergence of black pepper and cardamom, tempered with tapered herbaceous smoothness.
Finish: Long, smooth and dry finish with effervescent spicy notes”