Lind & Lime Gin Review

By Heather | August 11th 2020

Since the distillery will not be producing Whisky for a few years yet, Lind and Lime is the first spirit to be offered by the Port of Leith Distillery in Edinburgh. The gin has been thoughtfully distilled with plenty of inspiration taken from Leith’s local history.

The spirit is named for James Lind, a little known Surgeons’ Mate in the Royal Navy. During his service, Lind conducted what is known today as one of the first ever recorded clinical trails in the treatment of scurvy. Lind selected 12 sailors afflicted with the condition and allocated a pair to each of 6 different treatments for a period of two weeks.

Although he failed to realise the significance at the time, Lind observed that the sailors consuming citrus fruit showed a remarkable recovery. His findings led to today’s understanding that scurvy is caused by prolonged lack of vitamin C. This ultimately led to the Royal Navy provisioning it’s ships with citrus fruit to stave off the condition during long voyages. Not a bad legacy!

The distillers pride themselves on how well balanced the gin is. They start with A 96%ABV base spirit and run a second distillation with a guarded recipe of 7 botanicals. Most notably Juniper – which is the essential in any gin, Lime – for fresh zest and a nod to the gin’s maritime heritage, and Pink peppercorn – to provide balance for the lime and a subtle hint of spice. Lind and Lime has bright, fresh citrus, earthy juniper and subtle warming pepper and cardamom spice.

On the nose: A crisp fresh aroma with juniper and lime to the fore, background hints of peppery spice.

On the palate: Fresh and classic. Smooth with plenty of fresh citrus fruit and a subtle spiced warmth.

On the finish: Refreshing dryness, the earthiness of Juniper and a lingering citrusy cardamom spice.

Perfect serve: Serve with good quality tonic water, a slice of lime and a couple of pink peppercorns to bring out the infused flavours.

The Port of Leith Distillery have a clear fondness for the history of the local area and have made sure the packing for their flagship product reflects this wholeheartedly. Records put the earliest industrial production of glass in Leith around the mid 17th century, when bottles were in great demand for the wine, brandy, sherry and port coming into the trading port.

The glass was produced from sand and seaweed found on the area’s shoreline and several glassmaking furnaces were built to keep up with demand. It was this local history that inspired the choice of a wine bottle shaped vessel for their gin. Each ribbed glass bottle is stamped with the words “Leith Glass Works” and the company has pledged to add it to their bottles for years to come in homage to a company that while now, no longer in operation, once made up such a significant part of Leith’s industrial heritage.

Subtle but elegant. This bottle will look great in any cabinet or collection!

Cheers!