Theodore Pictish Gin, 700 ml

Product Information

This was an engraved plate (Fig 3) of a street in St Giles's, London with a coffin on which lies a glass, noggin (a small mug or wooden cup which could hold a dram of alcoholic liquor of about a gill or quarter of a pint measure) and a key, being borne to a burial ground. It is followed by a poorly clad 'Loddy' described below as a 'Beggar well known about St Giles's, Seven Dials etc.', and a procession of publicans. Verses underneath include the lines: Now, these potent pure scents weren’t all sweet as roses (although we may note that Damask rose was in fact one of them!), some were downright weird and fairly unpleasant. Brand ambassador Keivan Nemati began to explain that “off-flavours are essential to composition”. If you were to separate out the compounds of let’s say, Makrut lime, remove the aromas that didn’t smell nice on their own and take all the ‘best’ or ‘nicest’ scents of, you would perhaps expect it to be some sort of extraordinary Makrut lime scent? You would be mistaken!

To taste, the base note of bourbon vetiver transforms everything once again; it’s decadent and rich, perfumed but not perfumey. It adds a feint citronella too, that combines with the zesty pomelo, leading to wood and a great lashing of vanilla as it ushers in the finish. Ginger and a smattering of floral spice linger once the sip is over. In a G&T, the lime leaves are a little clearer, enhancing the citrus and vetiver. Botanically rich, that impression fills out further over time and quite uniquely, becomes more complex as it all dilutes - most probably from the Oolong coming to its own as the ice melts. Pair it with a grapefruit peel if you are keeping it simple, but for those wanting a fancy pants concoction come G&T time, try a lime leaf and some pink peppercorns. As Barth considered his blank canvas, the gin he would build using the Picts as inspiration, yet another chance encounter changed his approach. Other duties were imposed, but the Vices alluded to in the Act of 1735 continued; the crime rate increased and this, along with poverty and ill-health, was blamed on the consumption of gin.It’s a cluster of process and balancing act to say the least, but the team assembled to create Theodore Pictish know their botanicals inside out. The initial help and outsourced production comes in the form of Audemus and Thames Distillery along with a consultant perfumer in the picture to ensure a delicate balance that may stray from the typical path and that may even hover over oblivion, but that never, ever loses its footing. What does Theodore Pictish taste like? Barth and Andrew became acquainted with an olfactory expert, a man who specialised in the interplay between how we smell and how we taste. He worked with Barth to build the botanical list, based on plants the Picts might have collected on their travels from their homeland to the Highlands, including a few very unusual choices most commonly seen in perfumes.

These verses, written by William Hogarth's friend and collaborator, the Rev. James Townley, accompany the artist's print, Gin Lane. Alcohol abuse is hardly a uniquely modern problem - Hogarth's print depicts the results of such abuse in the eighteenth century and highlights many of its social consequences. There are sixteen botanicals in total: juniper, angelica, coriander, cardamom, pink pepper, orris, honey, lavender, pomelo, chamomile, ginger, oolong tea, damask rose, lime leaf, bourbon vetiver and pine. Any Gin fan worth their salt will spot a few familiar faces, but more than that they’ll notice a whole raft of recognisable flavours, albeit those that haven’t necessarily been put together before in Gin form. Consider our interests raised… Henry Fielding, a friend of Hogarth's, who became a lawyer and a Westminster magistrate in addition to pursuing his career as a dramatist and author, wrote a tract in 1751 entitled Enquiry into the Causes of the late Increase of Robbers etc. with some proposals for remedying this growing evil. 5 In the second section of this he drew attention to the evils associated with the consumption of gin, 'This odious Vice (indeed the Parent of all others) first introduced by the Danes.' He continued: As the Subjects of those Prints are calculated to reform some reigning Vices peculiar to the lower Class of People.

Awards for Theodore Pictish Gin

Founder Barth Barthelemy Brosseau, said: ‘We have collaborated with an eclectic team of individuals who are pushing boundaries in their respective fields to create something special. While not much is known for sure about the Picts, we enjoy that sense of mystery. Theodore Gin is also available to enjoy in leading bars and restaurants including The Gibson, Disrepute, 64th& Social, The Curtain, Frenchie and Anglian Country Inns. Enquire from the several hospitals in the City, whether any increase of patients and of what sort, are daily brought under their care? They will declare, increasing multitudes of dropsical and consumptive people arising from the effects of spirituous liquors. 4

Previously published in the Proceedings of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (1992), 22: 74-80 Their magnificent body-paint and talent as craftsmen may seem at odds with their alleged fierce nature, but we appreciate this inherent duality. Theodore pays tribute to this dualism with a bold and characterful gin that embodies the Pictish spirit and it is for anyone who is looking to whet a curious appetite.” In 1751, Corbyn Morris, an economic reformer who initiated plans for a general registry of the total population of Great Britain and of the annual increase and decrease by births and deaths, invited people to: There’s talk of new ideas in the pipeline too, but it seems like Greenwood know what they are doing, pursuing steady growth via other categories before doing anything too crazy in gin. It’s a reassuring thing to listen to talk from a new team focused on doing something unique and doing it right, not machine gunning a million things out into the world until something hits the mark. They’ll certainly need that focus now that they set a very high benchmark for themselves too. Theodore’s initial top note is of elegant, citric pomelo and crisp pine needles that evoke the scent of fresh grass. As the top notes give way, honey ushers in a floral heart of Damask rose and oolong tea.A limited-edition batch of the gin has been produced as the result of a transcultural collaboration with Master Blenders from, and liquid produced in, Cognac and London, then blended and bottled in Scotland.Following this batch, Theodore Gin will be the first spirit produced at the new Ardross Distillery. Greenwood Distillers will launch seven spirits in the UK this year, with the aim of expanding to exports markets including France, Japan and the US by 2020. These botanicals include pomelo, pine, damask rose, honey and oolong tea, creatinga fresh and elegant gin with a floral heart and warm, rich finish. The new gin is said to be ‘Scottish by birth and Pictish by nature’. Inspired by Theodore de Bry’s drawings, Theodore Gin followed in his footsteps by commissioning their own Pictish illustrations, which meant it was only right to give him some credit. Not much is known about the Picts, but that sense of mystery has inspired the creation of this new spirit.

Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse. As he smiles: “We’re not religious people, but there’s something so amazing about finding Ardross, then the farm, then meeting all of these amazing people on the journey. It’s a celestial sequence of events that I find fascinating.” We don’t pretend to tell the world who the Picts were,” says Barth. “ We’re simply inspired by them, and it’s a story we want to tell the world.”

Since Spirituous Liquors became common, the Baking Trade has very much decreas'd and what the Landed Interest has gained by them, it has lost in Bread and Beer; besides Meat, Butter, Cheese and other Eatables... [Spirituous Liquors] obstruct the carrying on of Trade in every Branch... 7 Base notes of bourbon vetiver add a smoky, woody aroma with hints of vanilla, and oolong tea delivers further green notes to complement the citrus and pine. The distinctive combination has a long finish on the palate, with delicate rose returning in waves.