Orkney Gin Company – Mikkelmas

Mikkelmas Gin :41.3%ABV

Botanicals: Including juniper, orange peel, cinnamon, rose hip, heather berries, mulled spices and ginger

Flavour profile:  juniper and spice

Garnish: slice of orange and fresh ginger

What started as a hobby, making gin based on local ingredients as Christmas presents for family and friends, has developed into an award winning family-based business; albeit one still based on local Orkney Island lore and ingredients.

Mikkelmas gin is named after the Mikkel Feast, a local celebration to mark the end of harvest. The gin is bottled and labeled by hand. Ceramic bottles are used with the labels depicting the local legend of the Selkie-woman, a seal that can take human form.

Local seasonal botanicals form the base of the gin and are blended with seven-times distilled grain spirit.

We were expecting a gin commensurate with the name, story and botanicals; a wintery gin. We weren’t disappointed. On the nose are mulled spices and juniper. Neat, the mulled spices are key with sweet orange peel and cinnamon to the fore and with a hint of vanilla. Very warm and smooth, it mixes well with ginger ale and excels in a hot toddy to ward away the winter chill.

Mikkelmas Gin will appeal to lovers of spicy gin and those who are looking to warm up a cold, bitter day. A lovingly crafted gin, it upholds the proud heritage being forged in the ever-expanding Scottish gin scene.