Caorunn Highland Strength Gin Review

Caorunn is one of the best Scottish gins around, so why are they producing a new Highland Strength Gin?

August 2019 was the 10th anniversary of Caorunn’s first gin production, a gin which helped start the renaissance of the Scottish gin industry. It’s a fine gin, and has achieved worldwide success.

Advantages of a Stronger Gin

To help celebrate that anniversary, Master Distiller Simon Buley produced a new Highland Strength Gin, bottled at a robust 54% ABV. So what are the advantages of a stronger gin? Simon Buley explains:

Bolder Flavour – a higher alcohol gin ensures the flavours are not overly diluted therefore a higher strength gin lends itself to a much bolder flavour.
Perfect For Mixing With Cocktails – a stronger gin has all of the core DNA you would expect from a classic gin, which is evident from the nose and taste. However, the higher strength gives a G&T or other cocktail a little more punch.
Stronger Taste Profile – although a stronger gin is made in the same way as a classic gin, bottling it at a higher ABV gives a stronger juniper character to the liquid and gives the taste profile herbaceous notes which aren’t found in a classic gin.
Dilutes A Bitter Tonic – for those who aren’t keen on the taste of a bitter tonic, a higher strength gin will dilute the bitterness of the tonic.
The Alcohol Evaporates More Quickly – alcohol evaporates more quickly with the temperature of your mouth, leaving a much rounder and lasting mouth feel.

The judges at the International Spirits Challenge certainly understood the advantages of a higher-strength gin, as they’ve already awarded a Double Gold to Caorunn’s Highland Strength Gin.

The Botanicals

The new gin uses the same five locally-foraged botanicals as Caorunn’s regular gin: dandelion, heather, coul blush apple, bog myrtle and rowanberries. Caorunn is the Gaelic word for the rowanberry, by the way. To these Buley adds six traditional gin botanicals.

The Still

Caorunn Highland Strength Gin is then distilled in the world’s only working Copper Berry Still. This contains four large trays on which the botanicals are spread out, and thanks to the slow distilling process the flavours of those botanicals are emphasised in the resulting spirit. By then not diluting the spirit as normal, the flavours of Caorunn are accentuated in the Highland Strength expression.

The Caorunn gin distillery in Scotland — Caorunn’s Copper Berry Chamber

Caorunn Highland Strength Gin Review

The first impression on the nose is of intense juniper and spiciness. This is definitely Caorunn on steroids! It’s still fresh but also intense. The next note that came through was herbal, in the sense of medicinal/bitters. This was followed by pepper, mint, and citrus. The more you nose this gin, the more you get.

Drinking the Gin

On the palate it is similarly light yet intense. You certainly notice the alcohol, but you also notice the concentrated flavours. The spice seems spicier, the pepper more peppery, and the lemon/orange citrus like biting into bits of fresh peel.

The Serve

Caorunn distinguished itself by recommending slices of red apple in a Caorunn gin and tonic. It provides a real treat when you’ve finished the gin as you can then eat the delicious gin-soaked apple slices. The recommendation hasn’t changed with their Highland Strength Gin. Memo to self: put red apples on the shopping list.

1 part Caorunn Highland Strength Gin
3 parts Fever-Tree Indian tonic water
Method: Build over ice
Garnish: Red apple slices and orange oil twisted over the surface.