Minke Irish Gin
Travel Distilled reviews Minke Irish Gin from the Clonakilty Distillery in West Cork in Ireland and made with local whey and hand-picked rock samphire.
Ireland is more known for its whiskey, as was Scotland until gin became a big thing there in the last ten years or so. But Ireland too is now getting a reputation for its gin, and there’s been a boom in new Irish distilleries. I’ve reviewed Jawbox Gin from Northern Ireland’s capital, Belfast, and now here’s a gin from the opposite side of the island, from Clonakilty, less than an hour’s drive southwest of Cork on the south coast.
Clonakilty
Clonakilty is a town of about 4,500 people that stands on Clonakilty Bay in County Cork. It’s a beautiful part of Ireland, very popular with visitors, and I’ve driven through there myself, taking in great places like Kinsale and Skibereen.
Clonakilty Distillery
The distillery was founded in 2018, initially making whiskies but now expanding into gin, including a Minke Sloe Gin. The distillery is in the heart of the town, a dramatic sight with its three copper stills visible through large glass windows.
The warehouse is in an equally dramatic setting, perched on cliffs 200m (656ft) above the Atlantic Ocean. It reminded me of Old Pulteney, where the salt spray inevitably impacts the flavours of the spirits.
Making Minke Irish Gin
Minke Irish Gin is made, like their whiskies, with the distillery’s own deep well water. One distinctive botanical is rock samphire, a plant that is picked by hand from the nearby coastline, when in season. Samphire has a distinct taste that is a little salty, a little like parsley, and a little like fennel. In fact another name for it is sea fennel. It also grows on the North Norfolk coast, not far from where I live in England, and we always order it if it’s on the menu, or buy it when it’s in season. I’m curious to know what the other botanicals are but couldn’t find those details anywhere.
The gin is also unusual in that the base spirit is made from whey, not one of the most common ingredients for distilling. It’s a by-product of the cheese-making process and comes from the 9th-generation family farm near the Galley Head Lighthouse, a 20-minute drive southwest of Clonakilty.
Tasting Minke Irish Gin
The gin comes in a solid and chunky bottle, with a label featuring a whale’s tail as the whale dives below the ocean. It’s a simple yet stylish design. The gin is bottled at 43.2% ABV (86.4 proof).
On the nose it’s very fresh, not strongly juniper but more citrus with a hint of that fennel/aniseed aroma. The fennel comes through on the palate too, with more citrus, the juniper a little stronger, and a dash of salt from the wild ocean setting.
It’s a very pleasant gin, made for a good G&T on its own without the need to add citrus, and with the salt and samphire adding an unusual twist that made you think about what you were drinking rather than just knocking it back. It’s certainly distinctive, and an attempt to produce a spirit that definitely has its own terroir.
Making Minke Irish Gin
If you like the gin then you can learn how to make your own gin as the distillery runs its Minke Gin School every Saturday evening.
Buying Minke Irish Gin
You can get more information on the Clonakilty Distillery website. To buy it in the USA click here. To buy in Ireland and the EU click here. In the UK you can find it on Amazon. Elsewhere in the world you can buy it with international shipping from Master of Malt.
Buying Minke Irish Gin
You can get more information on the Clonakilty Distillery website. To buy it in the USA click here. To buy in Ireland and the EU click here. In the UK you can find it on Amazon. Elsewhere in the world you can buy it with international shipping from Master of Malt.
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