Whitley Neill Quince Gin 70cl

Product Information

A cross between a Persian stew and Moroccan tagine, the spices in this slow cooked one-pot are mellow. Serve with rice, couscous or flatbreads Nose: Amongst a fruit-tastic salvo of citrus zest, apricot yoghurt and ripe nectarines there’s earthy juniper, a hint of leather and a touch of exotic spice. The bottling technique: Add your spirit to a Kilner jar or another sealable container. Make sure your kit is clean and sterile to avoid the spirit going bad. Then add your infusing ingredient and leave it to leach into the spirit. Here's a rough time guide:Leave strong chilli, vanilla, cardamom or citrus for less than a day.Hardy spices and strong-flavoured veg will need five to seven days.Berries and strong fruit can take around three to four weeks to impart as much flavour as possible.Milder ingredients like apple or florals will take up to a month.

Put the jar to one side, making sure you shake the jar every few days. Leave the quince to sit in the gin for 3-6 weeks. Bake for 30 minutes or till the surface is crisp but still pale gold, perhaps a little toasted here and there. Serve with double cream. Poached quince, gorgonzola cream

Flavor Profile

I first made this with brioche, but panettone is much easier to find. The occasional nub of candied peel from the sweet bread is pleasing, too. If you know what you’re getting into— it’s a really pleasant flavored gin. It’s not a gin with quince, but a quince flavored, sweetened gin. This tangy jelly makes a fantastic accompaniment to your Christmas roast turkey, pork pie, ham or cheeseboard - or a gorgeous gift

The aroma of fresh stone fruits appears immediately, gently followed by hints of juniper and citrus zest. The distinctive flavour of quince dominates the palate, giving way to the sweetness of apricots and peaches, with a long, fruity finish that opens out into orange blossoms and zesty grapefruits. When the time is up, take your sterilised bottle and using a funnel with some muslin or a coffee filter in it; strain the gin into the bottle. I found that it was best if I strained it twice. Just make sure you replacing the muslin with a new piece after the first straining. I’ve stewed the chopped up Quince fruit, simmered to soften, crush to a pulp and sieve the fruit to extract a gorgeous pink coloured juice. I’ve added neat Gin to the juice in equal parts but within a few days, the Gin has gelled. Why would this be? Place the quince, sugar, spices and vanilla in the jar and top up with gin, up to one inch from the top, making sure all the ingredients are covered. Shake regularly for the first couple of days to make sure the sugar dissolves. Leave in a cool dark place for at least three months or no longer than one year. Strain the liquid through a muslin cloth and bottle. Seal your bottle and decorate it with a nice label if you’re giving it as a gift. I’ve called this gin “Two Quinces” after the 1992 Spin Doctors song, you’re welcome.To sterilise your jars and bottles, put your clean jars in a low oven for at least half an hour. Carefully remove your jars from the oven (they will be incredibly hot) and allow them to cool down a little. A small jump from pears with roquefort: quince and panettone pudding. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin/Observer Sweet soft-fleshed quince and blue-veined cheese – a small jump from that other sublime partnership, ripe pears with roquefort. Thank you. That makes sense as Quince is especially high in pectin and by cooking it, the pectin has been released. This limited edition, seasonal offering was inspired by a fruiting Quince tree growing near our Copper House distillery. It’s tangy, tart flavours sit somewhere between an apple and pear, and it produces delicate aromas of tropical fruit...

On entry, the palate has a fair viscosity. Early, it has a syrupy sweetness for me that reminds me of the juice from canned pears (in heavy syrup). Tart citrus rounds things out. Mid-palate there’s slight hints of green juniper and a touch of baking spice. The finish is long and sweet, with rich notes of pear syrup and candy. It’s not cloying, but Whitley Neill Quince Gin is sweet. When you're happy with the flavour, sieve to remove any solids, then pass through a very fine piece of muslin or a coffee filter to get rid of any sediment. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. Serve this rose-coloured quince jelly as part of a cheeseboard, or alongside pork or game dishes. It's a great way to use up a glut of the fruitWhitley Neill Quince Gin is a flavored gin that adds quince and sweetening after distillation. The color is a bit neon yellow poured from the bottle, which reads a bit as Mountain Dew and yellow #5. Tasting Notes