First Impressions
Byron's Gin is hand-crafted by Speyside Distillery, nestled in the foothills of the Cairngorm Mountains. The Bird Cherry expression uses botanicals that grow in the distillery gardens or the surrounding Highland landscape: bird cherry (Prunus padus, a native tree whose fruit has a bitter-almond quality), lemon-scented fern, ladies bedstraw, rowan, wild thyme, and blaeberry — the Scottish word for bilberry. The Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland has endorsed this gin's genuine connection to wild Scottish plants.
Tasting
Seven botanicals, all from the Cairngorms landscape. The nose is light, soft, and gentle — citrus and herbs from the lemon-scented fern. On the palate at 43%, smooth and warming: bird cherry provides slight tartness mid-palate, blaeberry adds red berry sweetness, wild thyme contributes herbal depth. Juniper underpins throughout. The finish is mellow with lingering fruit and warming peppery endurance.
The Bottom Line
Byron's Bird Cherry earns a 7 — a gin where every botanical grows within sight of the distillery. The bird cherry is an inspired choice: its bitter-almond tartness provides a flavour dimension that cultivated fruit cannot replicate. The lemon-scented fern and ladies bedstraw add genuine Highland wildness. Best in a G&T with light tonic and a sprig of wild thyme. At £38, a taste of the Cairngorms from the distillery in their foothills.
