Theodore Pictish Gin, 700 ml

Product Information

botanicals including pine, Damask rose, pomelo and bourbon vetiver have been distilled in a multi-stage process using an old charentais still alongside a rotovap to extract the best flavours and aromas from each.

The gin takes its name from Theodore de Bry, a 16th century engraver who brought the Picts to life through his art. While he had never met a Pict, his representations powerfully captured their intrepid identity. Inspired by Roman writings, de Bry had depicted the Picts as powerful hunters adorned in ornate body paint. His images are striking and terrifying and elaborate and beautiful – a balanced and fascinating depiction somewhere between the demonization of the Romans and the heroic depiction the Picts themselves would have fancied. In other words, somewhere near the truth. Theodore Gin is described as an elegantly aromatic Scottish gin, inspired by the lost civilisation of the Picts. whereas great Difficulties and Inconveniences have attended the putting the said Act in Execution, and the same hath not been found effectual to answer the Purposes thereby intended. . . 3Theodore is inspired by the ancient tribe that once settled near the brand’s home in the Northern Highlands. Theodore Gin is named after 16th Century engraver Theodore De Bry, a man most famous for his illustrative work in Les Grands Voyages (aka “The Discovery of America”). He also published the largely identical India Orientalis series, as well as many other illustrated works on a wide range of subjects, including as you might have guessed - the Picts. The Picts were body-painted warriors who existed so long ago that, for the most part, remain a total mystery. While they appear on written records that date from Late Antiquity to the 10th Century, stories passed down from generation to generation have blurred the lines a bit. All we really know, and not even for sure, is that they travelled from as far as Scandinavia to settle in the wilds of Scotland. 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… I asked an 8th-generation English master distiller to do a London Dry Base,” Barth says. “Then we started to discuss with our olfactory expert how to elevate and add complexity to that base by using botanicals that can’t classically be distilled using the one shot method, where everything is distilled at the same time. That’s why this gin is truly an intercultural collaboration – we try to take the best from each culture and share knowledge.” An Act for laying a duty upon the Retailers of Spirituous Liquors, and for licensing the Retailers thereof to be enacted after 29, September, 1736.

The brand name has been inspired by the spirit of the Picts, an ancient tribe that once settled near the brand’s home in Ardoss, Northern Highlands. The tribe is alleged to have travelled from as far as Scythia and Scandinavia to settle in the Scottish Highlands during the late Iron Age and early medieval periods. Theodore de Bry was a 16 th century engraver who brought the Picts to life through his art.

Theodore Gin is presented in a beautiful bespoke bottle and box, which features the artwork of the Picts and the 16 botanicals that were commissioned from illustrator Carlotta Saracco.

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.The competition is sponsored by Amorim’s Top Series unit, which specialises in the design, engineering and production of exclusive capsulated cork closures.

Looking across multiple categories, from Cognac to calvados, gin to Tequila, a wide range of bottles were awarded the top accolade of Master medals for their designs. As with the distillery’s ethos of innovation, two master distillers have collaborated in its creation – one British, Andrew W. Rankin, and one French, Barnabe Fillion, combining traditional and new techniques. 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! An Act for repealing certain Duties on Spirituous Liquors, and on Licences for retailing the same, and for laying other Duties on Spirituous Liquors and on Licences to retail the said Liquors, Act of Parliament 1743. As the Subjects of those Prints are calculated to reform some reigning Vices peculiar to the lower Class of People.

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The body-painted warriors are alleged to have travelled from as far as Scythia and Scandinavia to settle amidst the rugged landscape of the Scottish Highlands. The only traces of this lost tribe, famed for their courage and craftsmanship are echoed in the art, engravings and forgotten fortresses of Scotland. The resulting gin is incredibly complex and multi-faceted. Like the Picts that inspired it, Theodore Pictish Gin is different things to different people – or even moment to moment. 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: