Local Gin Flight: Aberdeenshire Botanicals
This flight celebrates gin with a strong Aberdeenshire connection: local makers, local stories, and botanicals that move from farm and forest to Mediterranean herbs and Viking-inspired spice.
Unlike whisky, gin does not need time in oak to build flavour. Instead, the character comes from botanicals: juniper, citrus peel, roots, herbs, spices, flowers and sometimes ingredients gathered from the landscape around the distillery. Taste each gin neat first, then revisit it with tonic if you would like to see how the botanicals lift and change.
Take your time with each dram. Nose first, then a small sip. Let the gin sit on the palate for a moment before adding tonic or garnish.
Gin One: Little Brown Dog – AFG
Aberdeenshire Foraged Gin
Little Brown Dog Spirits are based in rural Aberdeenshire and have become known for small-batch, characterful spirits with a real sense of place. Their gin range is built around local botanicals, with the team collecting ingredients from their own farm, including birch sap, and even keeping bees to gather bee pollen. (Little Brown Dog Spirits)
AFG stands for Aberdeenshire Foraged Gin, and that tells you exactly where this gin begins. It uses locally foraged botanicals such as wood sorrel, birch sap, rhubarb and parsnip alongside more traditional gin ingredients. It is bottled at 43% ABV, naturally coloured and non-chill filtered. (WhiskyBrother Dufftown)
Nose: Fresh piney juniper, lemon peel and green hedgerow notes, with rhubarb sharpness and a soft earthy sweetness.
Palate: Crisp and lively, with citrus, wood sorrel, tart rhubarb and a gentle root vegetable sweetness from parsnip.
Finish: Clean, green and refreshing, with lingering juniper, citrus zest and a slightly wild, foraged edge.
Suggested serve: Classic tonic, plenty of ice and a citrus garnish. A slice of lemon or a twist of grapefruit would work beautifully.
Self-guided thought: This is the most “from the land” gin in the flight. Look for the balance between classic gin structure — juniper, citrus and rooty spice — and the more unusual local notes of rhubarb, birch sap and wood sorrel.
Gin Two: Foghouse Green Gin
Foghouse Gin was created by the team behind Inverurie Whisky Shop, inspired by the Foghouse on Bennachie and crafted with a strong sense of place. The gin was developed by founder Mike Stuart and produced at Lost Loch Spirits Distillery in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire. It is made in small batches of around 300 bottles. (Scottish Gin)
This is a gin with a Mediterranean heart. The recipe brings together rosemary, olive, almond, liquorice root and wormwood, creating a profile that is herbal, savoury, creamy and dry. Foghouse describe it as drawing on the heritage of mixology and the flavours of the Mediterranean, with rosemary and olive balanced by almond and liquorice root. (We are Foghouse)
Nose: Rosemary, olive leaf and fresh herbs, with lemon peel, almond sweetness and a dry aromatic lift.
Palate: Savoury and textured, with juniper, Mediterranean herbs, creamy almond, liquorice root and a gentle olive-brine character.
Finish: Long, dry and fragrant, with wormwood bitterness, warming spice, rosemary and a clean savoury finish.
Suggested serve: Premium tonic, plenty of ice, a sprig of rosemary and a twist of orange peel. That serve is also recommended in Foghouse’s own gin details. (We are Foghouse)
Self-guided thought: This is the savoury dram of the flight. Compare it to the Little Brown Dog: the AFG feels wild, green and foraged, while Foghouse feels more composed, herbal and aperitif-like.
Gin Three: Hrafn – Drakkar
Hrafn Gin comes from Raven Spirits and carries a strong Norse influence. The name Hrafn means raven in Old Norse, while Drakkar comes from Old Norse words meaning dragon and ship. The name refers to the great Viking longships used for raids, travel and sagas of exploration. (Inverurie Whisky Shop)
Drakkar is a dry gin built around adventure, spice and citrus depth. The key twist is Persian black lime, which gives the gin a distinctive dark citrus note, supporting the warmer spiced tones of the spirit. Hrafn’s wider house style uses traditional botanicals, mandarin peel, juniper, citrus, coriander, cassia, liquorice, angelica and orris root, with a smooth, spiced London Dry profile. (hrafngin)
Nose: Juniper, dark citrus, dried lime and mandarin peel, with coriander, cassia spice and a gentle resinous depth.
Palate: Smooth and warming, with citrus oils, Persian black lime, juniper, spice, liquorice root and a slightly exotic savoury edge.
Finish: Long and spicy, with pepper, dark citrus, dry lime and lingering warmth.
Suggested serve: Indian tonic, lots of ice and a twist of orange or lime. For a darker, spicier serve, try it with a slice of dehydrated citrus.
Self-guided thought: This is the dramatic closing gin. After the fresh foraged character of Little Brown Dog and the Mediterranean savoury style of Foghouse, Drakkar brings darker citrus, spice and a Viking-inspired sense of theatre.
Flight Reflection
This flight shows how much range there is in local and Aberdeenshire-connected gin.
The Little Brown Dog AFG is bright, green and rooted in the local landscape, with foraged botanicals, rhubarb, birch sap and wood sorrel. The Foghouse Green Gin is savoury, herbal and Mediterranean, bringing rosemary, olive, almond, liquorice and wormwood into balance. The Hrafn Drakkar is darker and spicier, with Persian black lime, mandarin, juniper and a warming finish.
As a final comparison, return to the Little Brown Dog after tasting the Hrafn. You may find the AFG feels fresher and more hedgerow-led, the Foghouse more savoury and structured, and the Hrafn richer, darker and more spiced.