Mermaid Gin

Just off the south coast is the Isle of Wight and while you might not yet know it is it the home of the Isle of Wight Distillery who make a stunning gin called Mermaid Gin which I have been invited to review. Inspired by the island, it has rock samphire in it! It is the first time I’ve opened up a box of alcohol and my first reaction is WOW that’s beautiful! They have the most gorgeously striking bottle and it perfectly reflects their name. If the gin didn’t taste so good, I would happily put this on a shelf as an ornament. As you can see form the images it’s picks up the colour of the ocean and the glass scales reflect the light in the turquoise, teal and green glass.

The bottle is not just a beautiful piece of art it is also 100% recyclable, plastic free, sustainable and made with biodegradable materials. The cork is from sustainable sourced Portuguese cork with a wooden stopper and the neck seal is not plastic but a plant-based cellulose. But enough of the bottle! As soon as the cork was lifted you could smell the botanic in this gin. I opened this up at my parents and within seconds both my dad and grandma has also appeared due to the scent!

As I mentioned before Mermaid Gin is inspired by the island and uses ten botanics, all ethically sourced of course, and they combine to give off the most beautiful scent and taste. Rock samphire (mermaids kiss) is handpicked from the chalk cliffs along the Isle of Wight, Boadicea hops from the botanic gardens, English coriander seeds, juniper, organic lemon zest, angelica root, liquorice root, orris root, elderflower and grains of paradise. Combine they give an incredible fresh and clean gin, its rich and is by far the nicest Gin I’ve had!

The gin itself is bliss to drink. I’m not the sort of person who drinks to destress but oh my goodness this does that with one sip. The smell instantly relaxes you and concentrates you on it and the taste is superb. We drank with a slice of orange and found that was just perfect with this gin. Each of the botanics can be tasted in this gin and they blend perfectly. It has truly been a treat to review this and will be the highlight featuring of my drinks this summer!

You can find more about Mermaid Gin on the website here: www.isleofwightdistillery.com

You can pick up your own bottle (and I highly recommend you do) of Mermaid Gin (40% ABV), £40.00 ea./70cl. Marks & Spencer, Tesco, John Lewis and Harvey Nichols. Online: masterofmalt.com