Introducing Biggar Strength Gin
For a long time, fans of Biggar Gin told Euan and Stuart McVicar that they would love to try a bolder version of their awesome Scottish Gin. The brothers listened and took their time to get a version that was recognisably Biggar but which had a twist to it. They knew that a good navy strength gin works well in classic gin cocktails but would also need to please the discerning gin drinkers who much prefer a G & T that packs a bit more of a punch.
Biggar is about as far from the sea as it is possible to get in central Scotland so giving this gin a maritime or naval name just didn’t feel right. So when they developed their stronger gin (57% ABV!) they quite simply called it Biggar Strength. The simple name recognises its higher ABV but also the spirit of a town that consistently punches above its weight. But they did give a nod to the naval origins of these higher strength gins in the crisp, neat, navy blue and white label on the bottle.
The Biggar Original Recipe London Dry Gin relies on 3 local botanicals (rowan berry, rosehip and nettles) all of which are grown at Biggar Gin HQ. However, for Biggar Strength, they used an additional local botanical found in their existing woodland, so they settled on using the hawthorn berry. The berries if juiced are not dissimilar to cranberry in flavour and in dried form have a hint of apple. When distilled you can pick up on that fruitiness but with an underlying tartness.
Stuart McVicar from Biggar Gin says:
“In a happy coincidence, the botanical name for Hawthorn is Crataegus which is derived from the Greek kratos which means strength. The ancient Greeks prized the wood of the hawthorn tree for its strength. We prize its berries for the flavour they give our navy strength gin.”
Biggar Strength Gin is available in a very limited batch of less than 60 bottles (most of the GNS used to make gin is being used for hand sanitisers) and if you’re lucky you can get your hands on a bottle from their website from today.
We were lucky enough to get a ‘wee’ sample of Biggar Strength Gin and while we think it’s a little early in the day to try it now, we will add to this post when we do. The only question is G&T or cocktail?
