First Impressions
Edinburgh Gin 1670 (formerly Edinburgh Gin Botanics) is a collaboration with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, named for the year the Garden was founded as a medicinal physic garden. Fourteen native and exotic botanicals are hand-picked from RBGE's collection — fennel, sweet cicely, piper leaf, and Tasmanian mountain pepper among them. It represents the garden's journey from 17th-century medicine to cutting-edge conservation.
Tasting
The nose is aromatic with herbaceous, almost floral notes and aniseed fennel sweetness. On the palate, that fennel sweetness meets delicate sweet cicely, transitioning into lively herbaceous character. Tasmanian pepper adds intriguing peppery warmth and complexity. The finish lingers pleasantly with a menthol tingle and herbaceous warmth fading to clean green freshness.
The Bottom Line
Edinburgh Gin 1670 earns a 7 for a genuinely interesting botanical concept that delivers on its promise. The Tasmanian pepper and sweet cicely give it a distinctly garden-fresh character, and the collaboration with RBGE adds genuine provenance. Best with tonic and a fresh basil leaf garnish to amplify the herbaceous notes.
