8th July 2020 | Life at Virgin Wines
When it comes to handcrafted gin, it doesn’t get much better than Bullards Distillery. Which is one of the many reasons we love working with them, and chose to team up with them for our latest collaborative project. From their humble beginnings in the early 19th century, through to their current range and the bespoke gin they’ve handcrafted especially for us, we take a closer look at the Norfolk-based distilling powerhouse that’s known as ‘The Spirit of Norwich’.
Established in Norwich in 1837 by Richard Bullard and his partner James Watts, Bullards has a long and impressive history spanning six generations! Starting out as a brewery in the heart of the city, the Bullard name quickly became synonymous with outstanding beer and importing the very best wines and spirits from far and wide. You’ll find little pieces of their history being used in the distillery today, from old barrels and branded crates to vintage Bullards posters, along with a nod to the original Anchor Brewery in the emblem of the distillery logo.
These days you’ll find Bullards producing award-winning handcrafted gins, loved not only by our customers but by gin fans across the world. If you’ve tried a bottle from their range, you’ll have seen for yourself that Bullards are still very much at the top of their game!
In the core trio of Bullards gins we have the Strawberry & Black Pepper, the timeless London Dry and the classic Old Tom.
Winner of multiple awards including Best London Dry at the 2017 World Gin Awards, the Bullards London Dry Gin is the star of the show – and the inspiration behind creating our own bespoke gin with them (more on this later!). A soft and smooth gin with pronounced juniper and delicate notes of coriander and cardamom, it has a delightful complexity. On the palate you’ll find a hint of marmalade followed by warm and spicy notes of cinnamon, along with more surprising notes of sour cherry and liquorice from the South American Tonka Beans used in the blend.
Then we have the Bullards Old Tom Gin. Using Norfolk honey as one of the main ingredients, this particular bottle embodies ‘The Spirit of Norwich’ saying rather nicely. Along with the rich mouthfeel and sweetness from the honey, the Old Tom has tropical fruit flavours of ripe mango at its centre, accompanied by zesty grapefruit and spicy notes of pink pepper and vanilla. It’s a little sweeter than the London Dry, but drier than a Dutch Genever.
Completing the trio is an utterly delicious “pink” gin. The Bullards Strawberry & Black Pepper Gin is bursting with fresh strawberries followed by spicy black pepper notes. It has a hint of tartness and a pleasantly dry finish – great with ice and tonic on a sunny afternoon!
With the popularity of the range soaring, and being keen to keep their carbon footprint down while meeting demand, the team at Bullards have recently introduced eco-friendly refill pouches for each of their gins. They also source materials for the business and ingredients for the gins locally, and have been working hard on new green initiatives for 2020. It’s fair to say they’re doing their bit for the environment while also making their mark on the gin world!
Our latest collaboration with Bullards has been working with the team on a special bespoke London Dry Gin, handcrafted exclusively for VW… and we’re very excited about it! Our Head Spirits Buyer, Dave Roberts, and Bullards Distillery Founder, Russell Evans, have been working on the project for some months now, with the help of their Master Distiller. Together, the guys have come up with an elegant and refined blend with perfectly balanced notes of zest and spice.
The L&C has two key tasting notes of lime leaf (the ‘L’) and cardamom (the ‘C’). A truly beautiful and fragrant flavour combination that makes a sophisticated G&T. With the help of Bullards, we’ve been able to create something pretty special here, and we can’t wait for you to try it. A select group of our luckiest customers will be sampling the very first batch next week, but don’t worry, it won’t be long until we add it to our spirits range for all to enjoy!
Want to learn more about our new bespoke London Dry Gin? Head here for a closer look at L&C, along with Dave’s top tips for serving the perfect G&T!
