Eight Lands Organic Speyside Gin 700ml

Eight Lands Organic Speyside Gin comes from Glenrinnes Distillery, a family-run operation on an organic farm at the foot of Ben Rinnes in Speyside, Scotland. The distillery was founded by Alex Christou and his step-father, building on decades of organic farming led by Alex's mother Kathy, who moved the estate away from pesticides and chemical fertilizer starting in 2001. Completed in 2019, the distillery sits between two of Speyside's most famous whisky names, yet the founders chose to focus on gin and vodka instead, wanting to show that the region had more to offer than single malt. The brand takes its name from the eight regions of Scotland visible from the summit of Ben Rinnes.

The gin starts from an organic wheat-based neutral spirit and draws on eleven botanicals, two of which, cowberry and sorrel, are foraged directly on the Glenrinnes estate. Production uses a combination of maceration and vapor distillation, carried out in a 1,000-liter pot still named Rebecca, built by local coppersmiths at Speyside Copper Works. The gin is also finished with soft, mineral-light spring water that flows from beneath Ben Rinnes past the distillery itself, contributing to its smooth texture, and the finished spirit is bottled at 46 percent alcohol by volume.

The nose is intense with juniper, layered with fresh pine and citrus. On the palate, that juniper turns spicier and sweeter, balanced by tart red berries from the cowberry and a citrus lift, likely brightened further by the sorrel. The finish carries hints of black tea and warm spice, giving the gin a distinctly Speyside character despite its clear, unaged style.