Sample 3 cl Indian Summer Duncan Taylor Saffron Infused Gin 46% 3 cl

Hold the bottle up to the light and the colour gives itself away at once: a pale golden tone that comes not from a cask but from saffron. In Huntly, Aberdeenshire, where most bottles contain whisky, someone put the world's most labour-intensive spice into a gin. Here in 3 cl.

The expert's description

Sample 3 cl Indian Summer Duncan Taylor Saffron Infused Gin 46% is a Saffron Infused Gin distilled with juniper, coriander, angelica, orris root, cassia, liquorice, almond, lemon and orange, with saffron added after distillation, and bottled at 46%.

Behind the gin stands Duncan Taylor in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, a house that built its name on Scotch whisky and on casks left to sit for a long time. Indian Summer is the house gin, and the name gestures at saffron's route from the Mediterranean fields eastwards.

The base recipe is classical. Juniper, coriander, angelica and orris root form the backbone, lemon and orange lay in the peel, and cassia, liquorice and almond supply the warm, slightly soft floor. Only afterwards does the unusual part happen: the saffron goes into the finished spirit instead of travelling through the still.

There is a reason for that. Saffron's aroma is fragile and would suffer from the heat of distillation, so infusing it later preserves both the scent and the golden colour. The colour is not added, it comes straight from the spice. The 46% gives the gin enough power to carry the saffron through ice and tonic alike.

Tasting notes

Nose

Saffron sits on top, dry and faintly honeyed, with something close to warm hay. Beneath it lies the classical gin aroma: juniper, angelica and coriander with an exotic turn.

Palate

Orange peel first, then cassia bark and a peppery warmth. Juniper steps forward across the middle with a clear pine note, and the saffron holds all the way through as a dry, almost floral undercurrent. Almond rounds it off softly.

Finish

Medium-long and spiced. Peppercorn and citrus peel linger, and despite the 46% there is no burning edge, only a warm tone settling down slowly.

Specifications

Name: Sample 3 cl Indian Summer Duncan Taylor Saffron Infused Gin 46%
Producer: Duncan Taylor
Region/Country: Huntly, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Type: Saffron Infused Gin
ABV: 46%
Size: 3 CL
Botanicals: Juniper, coriander, angelica, orris root, cassia, liquorice, almond, lemon, orange and saffron
Distillation method: Distilled gin with saffron infused after distillation
Serving suggestion: With Tonic Water, ice and a slice of orange

Flavour profile

Spiced · Citrus · Floral · Dry · Warm

Did you know?

Duncan Taylor was founded in 1938 and started out as a cask trader, buying and sitting on Scotch whisky casks on other people's behalf. Only many decades later did the house begin bottling under its own name, and gin is one of the newer chapters in that story.

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Frequently asked questions about Sample 3 cl Indian Summer Duncan Taylor Saffron Infused Gin 46%

Why is the gin golden?

The colour comes from the saffron and is not added. The spice goes into the finished spirit after distillation and draws a pale golden tone out into the liquid. The longer the bottle stands in daylight the more that colour can fade, so keep it dark.

Can you actually taste the saffron?

Yes, though it does not shout. Saffron sits as a dry, faintly honeyed and almost floral undercurrent beneath the juniper and citrus, closest to the aroma of a saffron bun without the sweetness. It shows most clearly when the gin is tasted neat.

Which tonic brings the saffron out best?

A neutral, dry tonic. Aromatic tonics with extra spice settle on top of the saffron and hide it, while a plain one lets it stand. Use a slice of orange rather than lemon, so the orange peel in the recipe is supported.

Why does a Scotch whisky bottler make gin?

Because the skills overlap. Duncan Taylor in Huntly has worked with selecting and bottling spirits since 1938, and Indian Summer is the house's take on a gin built around a spice nobody else had put at the centre.

Does it work with food?

It works particularly well with dishes where saffron already belongs. Shellfish, paella and rice dishes meet the gin halfway, and the 46% cuts through rich food such as salmon and aioli without disappearing.

What can 3 cl be used for if you want to compare gins?

A side-by-side tasting. With 3 cl each of two or three different gins in small glasses you can feel what distillation and infusion respectively do to an aroma, and Indian Summer is a clear example of the latter method. Browse the full selection of Whisky Samples.