Shining Cliff Original Gin

Shining Cliff Original Gin is another new gin, to me at least, which I picked up on my recent trip to the spiritual home of Drinkfinder UK, Constantine Stores. It is produced by White Peak Distillery, which operates out of an old wire works on the banks of the river Derwent in Ambergate in Derbyshire, midway between Matlock and Belper. Founded in 2017 by Max and Claire Vaughan, it now produces an impressively extensive range of whiskies, rums, and gins.

The brand name comes from the Shining Cliff Woods, designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, where the Betty Kenny Yew Tree is to be found. Reputed to be around 2,000 years old, the tree is where a charcoal burner, Betty Kenny, is said to have sung the lullaby “Rock-A-Bye-Baby” in the 17th century to her babies as they rested in the boughs, although this charming image is one of a number of stories of the nursery rhyme’s origins. Nevertheless, an image of the tree with a stag standing underneath appears in the top left hand corner of the front label.

While the bottle itself is unremarkable, made of clear glass, round in shape and with a rounded shoulder leading to a medium-sized neck and black cap with artificial cork stopper, the labelling makes the spirit stand out. The choice of script is eye-catching, giving the look a Victorian vibe, said to be reflective of the script on the Griff Pioneers sign at the entrance to the woods at Shining Cliff. Although they use the same label design for each of their gins, they use a distinctive colour, blue for Original, yellow (naturally) for Citrus, white with a pink font for the Bakewell Pudding Gin, and a parchment tone for the Spiced Gin.

The iconography used on the labelling is worth a detailed look. As well as the image of the Yew Tree on the front label, a larger version is printed on the reverse which can be seen through the clear glass from the rear of the bottle. There is a copper-coloured label lower down the bottle, which bears the image of some twisted wire, a reference to the initial use of the building in which the distillery is housed, an image that is repeated on the top of the cap. If you are a sucker for a bit of Latin on your bottle, the legend “virtus patienta veritas” appears at the bottom of the blue label and on the seal to the bottle.

Using traditional copper stills, thirteen botanicals are used in the distillation process, a mix of gin staples and some locally foraged such as rose hip, bilberries, and mayflowers. This gives the gin, clear in the glass, a distinctly floral flavour, although the sweetness of the signature botanicals is balanced by the dry and piney notes of the juniper and a hint of zesty citrus. It is a gin which requires a careful selection of tonic as the balance could easily be upset. With an ABV of 45% it is deceptively strong and makes for quite a warming drink, ideal for sipping while nestled by a roaring fire.

While I am not a great fan of floral gins, this could easily change my mind.

Until the next time, cheers!