Gin of the month May
BEINN AN TUIRC
KINTYRE BOTANICAL GIN
Coastal, woodland, citrus.
On the east coast of the Kintyre peninsula lies Torrisdale Castle Estate. Remote, rugged, and beautiful.
This is where Beinn an Tuirc Distillers was born.
When Niall and Emma Macalister Hall took over the estate, they didn’t want to simply preserve it.
They wanted to revive it. Restore it. Make it sustainable for the future.
So before they ever distilled a drop of gin, they built a hydro-electric system.
Water from the hills now powers the estate, and the distillery itself.
Let that sink in for a moment.
This gin is literally made using energy from the same land it reflects.
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The name Beinn an Tuirc means “The Hill of the Wild Boar” in Gaelic.
A nod to the hill overlooking the estate, but also to something deeper: resilience, nature, and heritage.
The distillery itself?
Built inside restored farm buildings.
Even an old piggery found a second life here.
Nothing wasted. Everything repurposed.
Production started in 2017.
Small batches. Hands-on work. No shortcuts.
At the heart of it all is their copper still, quietly doing its job while everything around it follows the same principle:
Respect the land; don’t overpower it.
Visitors who make the journey to Kintyre, like i had the pleasure in summer of 2024, don’t just taste a gin.
They experience a place.
And that’s exactly what ends up in the bottle.
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May is where everything opens up again.
Longer days, fresh green landscapes, the first real evenings outside.
Kintyre Gin fits that rhythm perfectly.
A gin that feels like a walk through coastal woodland with the sea never far away.
BEINN AN TUIRC
KINTYRE
BOTANICAL GIN
From the hill of the wild boar.
Fresh, earthy, quietly beautiful.
Tasting notes
When I open it:
Juniper comes first.
Clean, piney, familiar.
Then citrus follows, but softly, not sharp, just fresh.
And something underneath, green, earthy, almost like stepping outside after rain.
When I taste it:
Balanced.
Citrus, gentle florals, and a subtle spice that builds slowly.
There’s depth here, but it doesn’t push itself forward.
Botanicals like sheep sorrel and Icelandic moss don’t stand out individually.
They just, ground everything.
When I swallow it:
Dry, clean, mildly warming.
Juniper returns, supported by a soft citrus finish that stays just long enough.
Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied.
Smooth, fresh, and structured.
A gin that doesn’t tire you out, It keeps you there a little longer.
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Best serve suggestion
Gin, tonic, fresh basil. That’s it.
No overthinking.
The basil lifts the herbal side, softens the citrus, and suddenly everything opens up.
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For a slightly sharper edge:
Swap the basil for pink grapefruit.
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Gin.whis notes
Beinn an Tuirc Distillers made something that feels like it belongs exactly where it comes from.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Just… right.
And maybe that’s why it will stay with me.
Because in a world where everything tries to stand out.
This one just tells you where it’s from.
Not that it needs too, you’ll taste it.
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Producer: Beinn an Tuirc Distillers
Style: London Dry / Botanical Gin
ABV: 43%
Origin: Kintyre Scotland