Sloe gin experiment – part 2

This, of course, follows on from part 1.

The sloe gin experiment has been a huge success. I know this because half of it has been consumed already – and not by the kitchen sink, either.

As a reminder, I used 1 pound of sloes picked from Dunwich marshes, 8oz unrefined organic granulated sugar and 70cl of Plymouth gin, and 30cl of Bombay Sapphire.

After about 2 months, I racked the gin from the sloes and transferred the liquid into clean bottles. The original plan was to de-stone the fruit and create little liqueur chocolates out of the sloes, but I tasted one and it sent my mouth into a dimension I never knew existed. It was mouth-puckeringly astringent – every drop of moisture instantly vanished. No amount of chocolate could have quelled that sensation.

Without any ageing at all, the gin has been totally transformed. Everyone who has tasted it has loved the purity of the flavours, and the colour is beautiful – a bright, clear, ruby red. The sweetness is in balance, and the sloes have imparted their flavour without any of the associated bitterness from the skins. Apparently, sloe gin improves with keeping, but I doubt it’ll be around for long.