As soon as I heard that Mackintosh were making a navy strength gin, I was on the phone putting in my pre-order.  It was a nail biting moment when I got to taste it as there was some serious expectation there. Buckle up and get ready to read all about Mackintosh Mariner Gin.

Now it’s no secret that I’m a big lover of all things Macintosh. If you’ve ever asked me for a gin recommendation then chances are I will have mentioned their London Dry.  With a crisp burst of juniper, heady citrus notes and lightly floral I believe it’s one of the tastiest gins I’ve had the pleasure of tasting.


Jim and Debs fully flung themselves into the gin scene and have become a firm backbone to the drinks community.  Their passion for all things gin and the spirits sector shines out of them. A true family business, their three daughters have all helped Mackintosh become a well known name in a crowded industry. Their first gin, Mackintosh London Dry gin, was released in September of 2018 and it went on be awarded silver at The Scottish Gin Awards 2019.


Mariner Strength

This is a navy strength version of their London Dry, bottled at 59%. To be classed as navy strength, the gin must be bottled at 57% or above.To anyone new to spirits this strength might initially sound daunting. Often I get raised eyebrows when I tell people that weirdly, well made navy strength gins can turn out to be the smoothest you will sip.  A stronger gin tends to hold more of the essential oils from the botanicals and so there can be more flavour. This makes them work especially well in cocktails.


On the nose

You get a strong sense of the juniper first off then a really fresh burst of lemon peel.


To taste

Clean. So beautifully clean and fresh. It almost evaporates on the tongue.  Juniper forward this is quite heady and really builds in the mouth.  When you add tonic I feel it opens up and makes it so much more citrus in character. You definitely get the bold juniper and this lovely crisp Mediterranean citrus zing.  Slightly floral aftertaste.  Drunk on its own is more peppery and fresh, I could happily sip it with ice. 


Afterthought

This felt pretty light in my mouth. Not too full on and built up its character nicely upon drinking. Lots going on and different flavours were revealed and seemed to work harmoniously against the juniper.  My preference for this was in a negroni although you’d have to watch as it’s a heavy hitting aperitif! I like to go equal parts Mackintish Mariner Gin, sweet vermouth and Campari.
Another tremendous sip is to mix up a Gimlet. I use 40ml Mackintosh Mariner Gin, 20ml fresh lime juice and 15ml sugar syrup.


Mackintosh have released a fantastic cocktail challenge that they sent out in their latest newsletter, head to their page, Mackintosh Gin for the details and see if you fancy getting involved!


My entry is a summery sip that tastes a bit like a melted ice lolly! The egg white gives amazing body to the drink as well as helping to produce that foamy head. But if you don’t like the idea of using raw egg white then substitute with 40ml of aquafaba (the water from a can of chickpeas). Sounds weird but works. Take a punt with the egg white though, if you’ve never tried mixing with it before you will be amazed. Also using tamarind can be difficult as it’s only usually available at larger supermarkets or specialist stores, but is well worth it if you can get it. A great substitute is a syrup made with fresh limes and brown sugar.


The Heart of Angus

•  40ml Mackintosh Mariner Gin
•  15ml lemon juice
•  10ml tamarind and tea syrup
•  25ml pineapple juice
• 1 egg white

Dry shake all the ingredients for a minute then add ice and really go for it with a long shake to get that full foam. Strain into a lovely martini glass and make sure you top it up with that foam.

Tamarind and Tea syrup recipe:
Take 50g tamarind paste with 150ml water, 80g sugar, juice of half a lime and a tablespoon of tea leaves. I used earl grey green tea but you could use any. Boil up and simmer for around 15 min then strain into a bowl and allow to cool.


Please show the Macintosh clan some love and check their range out, they have a beautiful Old Tom if you prefer a sweeter sip and of course their original London Dry.


This post is in no way sponsored, all thoughts and opinions are my own and all products used were bought and paid for with my own hard earned cash.

Thanks for reading, please let me know what you think.

Pam xx