Origin and production
Hepple Gin is made in the Northumberland uplands using wild local juniper alongside green juniper, Douglas fir, blackcurrant leaves and fruit, Amalfi lemon, coriander, fennel, orris, angelica, lovage and liquorice. The surrounding moorland is both inspiration and a direct botanical source.
Three complementary techniques build the spirit: traditional copper-pot distillation provides its foundation, vacuum distillation protects delicate fresh aromatics, and supercritical carbon-dioxide extraction captures an especially vivid juniper essence. The components are blended and bottled at 45% ABV.
Tasting notes
Appearance
Crystal clear, bright and lightly viscous.
Nose
Intense juniper and pine lead into Amalfi lemon, blackcurrant leaf and a cool herbal note.
Palate
Full and exceptionally clear in flavour, with resinous juniper, fresh citrus and earthy spice in close balance. Fennel, lovage and liquorice add depth before a long, clean and distinctly piney finish.
Serving suggestions
For a gin and tonic, use a dry premium tonic and a strip of lemon peel rather than a strongly flavoured garnish. Its juniper concentration also excels in a dry Martini, a Gimlet or a Negroni.
Background story
Hepple was created by a team whose backgrounds cross distilling, food and drinks, including master distiller Chris Garden, chef Valentine Warner and bartender Nick Strangeway. Their aim was to recover the vivid character of freshly picked juniper that conventional distillation alone can lose.
The distillery also works to protect and regenerate Northumberland's declining wild juniper. That conservation effort makes the landscape more than a marketing setting: the health of the local plant population is directly connected to the gin's identity and long-term future.
