Masons of Yorkshire 10-Year Anniversary: A Juniper Celebration in a Bottle
Gin lovers rejoice, for Masons of Yorkshire is marking its 10-year anniversary with a limited edition gin that takes us back to the very essence of what made us fall in love with this beloved spirit – juniper.
This special release is an exploration of how much we can extract of the classic flavour that has captured our hearts and palates, and it promises to be a delightful journey of juniper exploration. With only 2,000 bottles available, each numbered and presented in a beautifully copper foiled detail presentation box, this gin is a true collector's item, allowing loyal Masons supporters to own a piece of our remarkable history.
At the heart of Masons of Yorkshire's 10-year anniversary gin lies the soul of the spirit itself – juniper. To ensure a harmonious blend of flavours, the juniper is distilled in three unique ways: pot still, vapour basket, and vacuum distillation. By employing these distinct methods, we aim to extract all the diverse notes and unleash the true potential of the berries remarkable flavour profile.
Distillation Methods:
Pot Distillation: The classic and time-tested method, pot distillation harnesses hot temperatures to extract the true character of juniper. Soaked overnight and distilled over 9 hours, this technique forms the strong backbone of flavour, ensuring a robust and authentic gin experience.
Vapour Basket Distillation: Taking a different approach, the distillate is passed through the vapour basket, introducing the juniper spirit to slightly cooler temperatures, allowing for a unique interaction with solid botanicals and picking up even more flavour. This process yields beautiful finishing notes and adds an extra layer of complexity to the gin, making it truly special.
Rotary Evaporation/Cold Distillation: Embracing innovation, we utilise very low-temperature distillation through rotary evaporation. The berries are soaked overnight and then blended before entering the rotary, uncovering a whole new range of flavours, accentuating the pine and fresh notes found within the juniper. It required over 50 distillations on the rotary evaporator to perfect this gin batch, a testament to the craftsmanship and dedication behind each bottle.
To showcase the diverse range of flavours juniper can offer, we carefully selected two types of juniper berries. Serbian berries, picked at the beginning of their lifecycle, are employed in the vapour basket distillation, extracting a pronounced pine flavour that dominates the aroma on the nose. On the other hand, Albanian berries, picked at the end of their lifecycle, present larger and juicier fruits with a sweeter taste profile.
Meticulously blending a 50/50 combination of each juniper berry, we ensured that the resulting gin boasts a wide range of flavours, beautifully showcasing the complex essence of juniper itself. The gin's 52% ABV further elevates the experience, as the higher alcohol content holds more of those delightful flavours within each sip.
This 10-year anniversary gin is a celebration of juniper, the reason we were drawn to gin in the first place. Making a very distinctive looking G&T, this gin produces a cloudy drink, all from the flavour we didn’t filter out. So, raise a glass and toast to Masons of Yorkshire, as we continue to enchant gin enthusiasts with our unwavering commitment to quality and innovation.
