Whitley Neill Raspberry Gin, England

A classic Dry Gin that blooms with raspberries on the palate.

John James Whitley Neill comes from eight generations of distillers, and he’s a direct descendant of Thomas Greenall. If you are reading this from just about anywhere in the UK, you might instantly recognize that the Greenall name has been associated with distilling in England — Gin in particular — for 250 years. As a child, he happened upon a cache of bottles in his grandmother’s storage, all full and labeled with the family name. This experience inspired him to take up the family tradition. And things are going well so far.

All Whitley Neill Spirits are distilled in a small-format, 100-year-old, copper-pot still — the oldest operating still in the UK. They shun the "continuous distillation" process that ramps up volume, choosing to start and finish one batch at a time.

Whitley Neill just keeps on adding new flavors and innovative infusions. This time they’re experimenting with Rebus Idaeus — the European raspberry.

Whitley Neill Raspberry Gin is real Gin. When you raise the glass to your nose, classic London Dry is probably all you will detect. But when you give it a sip a soothing background note of raspberry arrives slowly like a sunrise. The full list of botanicals includes juniper, coriander, cassia, orris root, Angelica, licorice, sweet orange zest, lemon, and those lovely Scottish raspberries.

Smartass Corner:
The raspberry has been called "the most Scottish of all fruit." Two of the most common cultivars in Scotland are Autumn Bliss and Glen Ample.