Sliabh Liag launches Rioja cask-aged gin
Irish producer Sliabh Liag Distillers has expanded it spirits portfolio with the launch of a navy strength gin that has been finished in Rioja wine casks.
Santa Ana Armada Strength Gin has been named after an Andalusian ship, La Duquesa Santa Ana, which was lost in Philip II’s ill-fated Spanish Armada conquest to invade England in 1588. The gin has been made with botanicals including juniper berries from Macedonia, coriander from Bulgaria, angelica root from Belgium, cassia bark from Indonesia, lemon peel from Spain and sweet orange peel from Egypt. The recipe also includes various species of seaweed, all harvested on the Donegal shore: channel wrack, dulse, sugar kelp, carrageen moss and pepper dulse. Tasting notes include “bright” juniper, salty sea notes and floral aromas, all combined with subtle spices and liquorice. Bottled at 57% ABV, Santa Ana is available to purchase in the UK through Master of Malt, priced at RRP £45 (US$58) per 500ml bottle. Assaranca Vodka Furthermore, the distillery has also created a new vodka, called Assaranca Vodka. The vodka was inspired by the Assaranca Falls that run through the Donegal hills close to the distillery. The vodka is made from triple-distilled grain spirit, which is redistilled with rowan berries in a pot still and gorse blossoms in the flavour basket. Bottled at 41% ABV, Assaranca Vodka is said to have sweet grassy notes on the palate, leading to earthy coconut water with tamarind. It is also available to purchase from Master of Malt in the UK, priced at RRP £30 (US$39).
