First Impressions
Achroous — ancient Greek for 'colourless' — arrives in a bright red bottle, the pun entirely deliberate. Founded by James Porteous, a Heriot-Watt University brewing and distilling graduate who worked as a consultant designer and photographer before turning to spirits, the Electric Spirit Co. distils and bottles at their Tower Street Stillhouse in Leith, Edinburgh. This has been their signature gin since the first release in 2016.
Tasting
Seven botanicals: juniper, coriander, angelica root, liquorice root, orris root, Sichuan peppercorn, and fennel seed. The nose has juniper leading warm floral spice notes with sweet, grassy fennel. On the palate at 41%, citrus and sweet earthy anise from the fennel, but the Sichuan peppercorn is the story — providing a distinctive numbing tingle that is genuinely unusual in gin. Juniper structures throughout, liquorice and orris add depth. The finish is long and moreish with the peppercorn's tingle persisting alongside fennel sweetness.
The Bottom Line
Achroous earns a 7 — a gin that tastes quite different from almost anything else on the market. The Sichuan peppercorn creates a sensory experience — that distinctive numbing tingle — that transforms every sip into something memorable. Minimalist at seven botanicals but maximalist in its impact. Best in a Negroni where the Sichuan peppercorn plays beautifully against Campari's bitterness, or in a G&T with aromatic tonic and a star anise garnish. At £34, genuine individuality at a fair price.
