Old Raj is the Gin brand of W. Cadenheads from Campbeltown, Scotland. This gin is unique in the fact that its colour is a faded yellow, due to added saffron. yes, added saffron! This gin is available at 55% strength, and at 46%.
The gin itself is to my knowledge not distilled at the Cadenhead/Springbank site, but the spirit is, nonetheless, impressively good. The added saffron not only gives a unique colour, but a slight flavour as well.
What can I say? Impressively good gin, this one. I think it is one of the best ever if you enjoy your gin neat or with ice.
Old Raj Gin from Cadenheads
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J, great post and thanks for the pic. Although this one isn't in the budget, I have long had my eye on it. One of the top tasters in the world for spirits in general has to be F. Paul (Pacult) and Old Raj makes #88 on his all-time best spirits in the world (of all kinds). F. Paul reviewed over 2400 spirits in a book all you must - must - buy: "Kindred Spirits 2" so making the Top 100 is quite an honor.
Although he loves gin ("my favorite white spirit") only a few make the Top 100 including Tanqueray (at #15), Tanqueray No. Ten (at 64), and Vincent Van Gogh (71).
An excerpt from his review:
A note about Cadenhead. From their site:
Let's all pray that the ever fewer independent distillers, blenders and bottlers continue to survive.
J, great post and thanks for the pic. Although this one isn't in the budget, I have long had my eye on it. One of the top tasters in the world for spirits in general has to be F. Paul (Pacult) and Old Raj makes #88 on his all-time best spirits in the world (of all kinds). F. Paul reviewed over 2400 spirits in a book all you must - must - buy: "Kindred Spirits 2" so making the Top 100 is quite an honor.
Although he loves gin ("my favorite white spirit") only a few make the Top 100 including Tanqueray (at #15), Tanqueray No. Ten (at 64), and Vincent Van Gogh (71).
An excerpt from his review:
Both Sue Sea and I have a great affinity for gin, although Sue Sea prefers styles other than the classic London dry juniper forward style. We particularly like the unique Plymouth style. Sue Sea favors Citadelle and the Vincent van Gogh. Hendrik's is for the adventurous....development of biscuity, rich aromas that feature atypical but alluring and garden-like fragrances of flowers, orris root, and angelica; my fourth and final whiff stays the aromatic course plotted in the early passes, spotlighting the earthier, softer botanicals rather than the more pungent juniper and bitter citrus; the balance and harmony of this gentlemanly bouquet is of classical proportions.
The palate... sweet and fruity featuring for the first time juniper... midpalate is long, silky smooth, fruity, dry and remakabley supple, even succulent... What's so impressive is that from start to finish the 110 proof acts only a sublime foundation for the botanicals rather than as a star performer...
As delicious as I could ever imagine British gin to be (5 stars)"
A note about Cadenhead. From their site:
Cadenhead is known to be perhaps the only company remaining that has significant stocks of old Demeraran rums in their original casks, which they then release selectively at both cask strength or with water to serious bottling strengths - and with no alteration or chill filtering whatever."Scotch Whisky is known the world-over by the Brand names of large blending companies. These blends are the mixture of the products of various distilleries which were originally independent family owned units.
Recent revival of interest in the whisky from different single distilleries has caused a surge of new firms to emerge. Many do not actually control their bottling operations and unfortunately feel it necessary to invent fictitious ancestries. However William Cadenhead has a well established pedigree and the experience of over one and a half centuries ensure that our customers can truly rely on what we put in a bottle. We guarantee that we never chill-filter or chemically alter the products that we bottle nor do we add colouring agents. Each of our bottlings of whisky, and indeed of our rums and cognacs, comes from an individually selected cask."
Let's all pray that the ever fewer independent distillers, blenders and bottlers continue to survive.