First Impressions
Siderit Distillery was founded in 2012 in Cantabria — the green, lush region of northern Spain's Atlantic coast. The Cool Tankard is a floral variation on their base recipe, built around the cool tankard flower, better known as borage — a blue, star-shaped flower with a mild cucumber-honey flavour. The distillery uses glass stills rather than copper for exceptional purity, and fourteen botanicals including sea fennel from the coast and raw Marcona almonds create a gin that is unmistakably Cantabrian.
Tasting
Fourteen botanicals: juniper, coriander, sea fennel, cardamom, angelica, cinnamon, bitter orange and mandarin peels, hibiscus, pink pepper, Marcona almond, orris root, borage flower, and honey flower. The nose is delicate and floral — sweet honey flowers with borage, light and breezy. On the palate at 43%, smooth and velvety: floral notes balanced by hibiscus and pink pepper spice, sea fennel adding coastal salinity, Marcona almond providing nutty richness. The glass distillation produces exceptional clarity. The finish is long with persistent floral sweetness.
The Bottom Line
Siderit Cool Tankard earns a 7 — a Spanish gin that captures the lush, green character of Cantabria's Atlantic coast. The borage flower is an inspired botanical choice, providing delicate floral sweetness without the perfumed intensity of lavender or rose. Sea fennel and Marcona almond add local terroir. Best with an aromatic tonic and edible flowers as garnish. At £33, a beautifully crafted northern Spanish gin with genuine botanical imagination.
