Avva Scottish Gin
First Produced
2016Still Type
UK’s first Scottish made gin still, 250l full copper still with vapour basket
The Avva Scottish Gin Story
Speyside is a region of Scotland famous mainly for the production of another spirit. However, for Jill Brown, living in the home to the worlds largest distilling culture, with coppersmiths and distillers on her doorstep, combined with access to pure water and superb botanicals, Scottish Gin was the way forward.
Jill’s day job as an Agricultural Officer for the Scottish Government wasn’t inspiring her as much as her sideline in liqueur production, so she handed her notice in and took a trip to Australia. On her return, she saw a van with the logo “Speyside Copperworks” on the side – was it an omen? After seeing the van for the third day in a row, Jill decided it was and got in touch with the company. 6 months later, JJ was delivered – the first Scottish made gin still in the UK.
Named after Jill’s 2 grandmothers, JJ “bubbles away” in the distillery, creating a fantastic base spirit for the gin. Jill obviously adores JJ, saying “She is unique and pretty much every day in the still house is a great day!”
Avva Scottish Gin has always been distilled and bottled under one roof and, according to Jill, it always will be. Honesty, integrity and passion are poured into every drop distilled.
Avva original and Navy Strength gins both feature 11 botanicals. Interestingly this is the same number of windows on the Cathedral wall end which the stunning label design is linked to. The regional botanicals are foraged from Caithness down to Speyside, Dandelion, Rowan, Mint, Nettle and Red Clover – these are all weeds which were on Jill’s grandparents’ farm.
Key Botanicals
- Juniper
- Coriander,
- Citrus Peel
- Mint
- Rowan
- Dandelion
- Angelica Root
Tasting Notes
A traditional, well balanced and fresh Scottish Gin.
The distillation process we produce a juniper-led gin with a perfect balance of herbal and floral notes and clean finish.
A classic London Dry Gin.
Expressions
- Avva Navy Strength Gin
- Avva Cask Finish Gin
- Avva Pink Gin
- Avva Strathspey Gin
Key Personnel
- Jill Brown – distiller & everything else including the title of Director & boss,
- Sheena, Alison, Jennifer, Lindsay, Donna, Shona, Emily & David: anything and everything from foraging, bottling, liqueurs, sampling, sales, deliveries, events, administration and all the other stuff Jill doesn’t get time to complete!
Website
The Scottish Gin Society verdict
A reassuringly savoury aroma lets us know this is no gimmicky gin. Trying it neat, there is the obvious juniper, balanced with lovely herbal notes and a hint of warmth.
We tried it with Franklin & Son’s tonic and a wedge of lime, which brought forward the citrus elements for a very crisp and refreshing G&T.
So good, in fact, we think we’ll AVVA ‘nother! (sorry, we had to!)
