For those of you who are awaiting product, please take time to read through our recent product updates.

 

What has been the process in reaching a point of our first production run of Sinkhole Gin?

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Since the Pozible campaign, our distilling team have been testing and adjusting our recipe as we scale up to the use of our larger production still. Due to the delicate nature of our recipe, this process required a number of trial batches, each with subtle changes to the balance the presence of flavour and aroma produced by our long list of botanicals.

 

Outside the role of perfecting our recipe in a production scale, we’ve been presented with a range of other challenges, including a break down in the still which put us out of action for an entire week at a pivotal time in the lead up to Christmas.

 

This delay resulted in only a very small pre-Christmas window to produce our final recipe in full scale, allowing time for the completed product to rest before bottling, but no time for bottles to rest prior to shipping.

 

What happens to the gin to get it ready for bottling?                                    

 

Upon completion of distilling, our gin sits at around 90% – 92% alcohol/volume (abv) and rests for a while. This then needs to be diluted with water in order to make it consumable, and for this recipe, we aim for a standard 40% abv.

 

A small amount of Sinkhole Gin bottles were slightly cloudy on receipt, why is this?

 

Cloudiness in gin is a result of flavour oils dissolved in ethanol losing stability and splitting at certain stages after being diluted. Often referred to as ‘dilution shock’ the cloudiness is caused by tiny visible bubbles of oil that have separated from the ethanol and is very common when bottling.

 

This is a very common occurrence in the bottling process and usually clears in a few days.

 

Due to the timeframes attached to achieving bottling and delivery prior to Christmas, a small number of bottles may still need a little time to settle, something that would have been intensified by vibrations and temperature changes during shipping but if you want to have a taste, go ahead as the cloudiness does not change the flavour.

 

As our bottles were settling well and crystal-clear at the time of packing, this was completely unforeseen and will be a focus on our recipe as well as our distilling, diluting and distribution processes to avoid the same outcome in all future shipments.

 

What can help to fast track the settling process?

 

We recommend placing your bottle on a shelf in a warm location (perhaps a sunny windowsill) and leaving it for a bit of rest and recuperation until it clears. If you can’t help yourself and want to have a taste before it settles, go right ahead.  

 

Why don’t we see cloudiness in other bottles of craft gin?

 

Most certainly, other craft gins experience some degree of cloudiness during a bottling process, each taking different amounts of time to settle, depending on the recipe.

 

In normal cases, distillers naturally are able to allow more time for the gin to settle – perhaps for a few weeks in the bottle, prior to distribution. This ensures plenty of time for quality control and limits any changes to the bottle during transit.

 

Will the cloudiness reduce?

 

It is not unusual for recently diluted gin to become cloudy, and this usually clears within a few days. The ethanol in the bottled gin, at 40% abv, acts as a solvent and over time slowly dissolves the oils, which slowly melt into a stable equilibrium. 

 

While each gin acts differently, in most cases, the gin will clear in its entirety. In rare cases a slight discolouration may remain.

 

Does the cloudiness impact on the flavour?                      

 

Our distilling team have advised cloud will create no detectable difference in flavour. From all reports from those who were unable to hold back, it’s hitting all the right notes.

 

To be honest, we’re more interested in making sure our product is as beautiful as we envisioned it to be in the bottle.