The resulting gin is incredibly complex and multi-faceted. Like the Picts that inspired it, Theodore Pictish Gin is different things to different people – or even moment to moment. Theodore Gin is the first release from Greenwood Distillers andfeatures16 botanicalsinspired by those that the Picts may have encountered on their travels to Scotland when they settled near the brand’s new home in the Northern Highlands These botanicals include pomelo, pine, damask rose, honey and oolong tea, creatinga fresh and elegant gin with a floral heart and warm, rich finish. The new gin is said to be ‘Scottish by birth and Pictish by nature’. Its botanical recipe includes pine, damask rose, pomelo and bourbon vetiver, and the spirit has been distilled in a multi-stage process to extract the best flavours and aromas from each of the ingredients.

Theodore Gin is named after 16th Century engraver Theodore De Bry, a man most famous for his illustrative work in Les Grands Voyages (aka “The Discovery of America”). He also published the largely identical India Orientalis series, as well as many other illustrated works on a wide range of subjects, including as you might have guessed - the Picts. The Picts were body-painted warriors who existed so long ago that, for the most part, remain a total mystery. While they appear on written records that date from Late Antiquity to the 10th Century, stories passed down from generation to generation have blurred the lines a bit. All we really know, and not even for sure, is that they travelled from as far as Scandinavia to settle in the wilds of Scotland. Barth toyed with the idea of naming his gin after a Pictish king, or one of the four Pictish kingdoms that had banded together to form a society in the Scottish Highlands. None of it felt right. The brand name has been inspired by the spirit of the Picts, an ancient tribe that once settled near the brand’s home in Ardoss, Northern Highlands. The tribe is alleged to have travelled from as far as Scythia and Scandinavia to settle in the Scottish Highlands during the late Iron Age and early medieval periods. Theodore de Bry was a 16 th century engraver who brought the Picts to life through his art. Henry Fielding, a friend of Hogarth's, who became a lawyer and a Westminster magistrate in addition to pursuing his career as a dramatist and author, wrote a tract in 1751 entitled Enquiry into the Causes of the late Increase of Robbers etc. with some proposals for remedying this growing evil. 5 In the second section of this he drew attention to the evils associated with the consumption of gin, 'This odious Vice (indeed the Parent of all others) first introduced by the Danes.' He continued:To those Melancholy Sufferers (by a late Severe Act) the DISTILLERS this Plate is most humbly Inscrib'd by a lover of Trade. 12

According to Keivan Nemati, a master mixologist and trainee perfumer, the unusual citrus of kaffir lime and pomelo (a grapefruit-like fruit without the bitterness) are the first things you’ll taste as you drink Theodore Pictish Gin. Not much is known about the Picts, but that sense of mystery has inspired the creation of this new spirit. Hogarth's scene is set in the slum district of St Giles' Parish, Westminster, where in 1750 at least every fourth house was a gin-shop, and numerous brothels and places for receiving stolen goods existed. The only thriving establishments appear to be the pawnbroker's where the prosperous looking owner 'Mr Gripe' (the name was slang for a usurer), is profiting from the search for funds to support the more profligate habits of his clients, and the distillers. This state of affairs accords with the observations of a letterwriter to the Gentleman's Magazine in 1743, who wrote:Theodore Gin is presented in a beautiful bespoke bottle and box which features the artwork of the Picts and the 16 botanicals that were commissioned from illustrator Carlotta Saracco. Whereas the Drinking of Spirituous Liquors or Strong Waters is becoming very common, especially amongst the People of lower and Inferior Ranks, the constant and excessive Use whereof tends greatly to the Destruction of their Healths rendying them unfit for useful Labour and Business, Debauching their Morals, and inciting them to perpetrate all manner of Vices. . . 2 Mentored by Christine Nagel – the nose at Hermès – Barnabé has brought a contemporary, Pictish approach to the distilling process. Theodore’s initial top note is of elegant, citric pomelo and crisp pine needles that evoke the scent of fresh grass. As the top notes give way, honey ushers in a floral heart of Damask rose and oolong tea.

botanicals including pine, Damask rose, pomelo and bourbon vetiver have been distilled in a multi-stage process using an old charentais still alongside a rotovap to extract the best flavours and aromas from each. Founder Barthelemy Brosseau said: “We have collaborated with an eclectic team of individuals who are pushing boundaries in their respective fields to create something special. Theodore pays tribute to the Picts with a bold and characterful gin that embodies the Pictish spirit. It is for anyone who is looking to whet a curious appetite.” An Act for repealing certain Duties on Spirituous Liquors, and on Licences for retailing the same, and for laying other Duties on Spirituous Liquors and on Licences to retail the said Liquors, Act of Parliament 1743. Featuring 16 botanicals, including pomelo, pine, damask rose, honey and oolong tea, Theodore Gin is a fresh and elegant gin with a floral heart and warm, rich finish. It is Scottish by birth and Pictish by nature. The first edition of Theodore Gin has been created with guidance from olfactory expert and perfume designer, Barnabé Fillion.I asked an 8th-generation English master distiller to do a London Dry Base,” Barth says. “Then we started to discuss with our olfactory expert how to elevate and add complexity to that base by using botanicals that can’t classically be distilled using the one shot method, where everything is distilled at the same time. That’s why this gin is truly an intercultural collaboration – we try to take the best from each culture and share knowledge.” Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse. To taste, the base note of bourbon vetiver transforms everything once again; it’s decadent and rich, perfumed but not perfumey. It adds a feint citronella too, that combines with the zesty pomelo, leading to wood and a great lashing of vanilla as it ushers in the finish. Ginger and a smattering of floral spice linger once the sip is over. It’s a cluster of process and balancing act to say the least, but the team assembled to create Theodore Pictish know their botanicals inside out. The initial help and outsourced production comes in the form of Audemus and Thames Distillery along with a consultant perfumer in the picture to ensure a delicate balance that may stray from the typical path and that may even hover over oblivion, but that never, ever loses its footing. What does Theodore Pictish taste like?

A limited-edition batch of the gin has been produced as the result of a transcultural collaboration with Master Blenders from, and liquid produced in, Cognac and London, then blended and bottled in Scotland.Following this batch, Theodore Gin will be the first spirit produced at the new Ardross Distillery.There are sixteen botanicals in total: juniper, angelica, coriander, cardamom, pink pepper, orris, honey, lavender, pomelo, chamomile, ginger, oolong tea, damask rose, lime leaf, bourbon vetiver and pine. Any Gin fan worth their salt will spot a few familiar faces, but more than that they’ll notice a whole raft of recognisable flavours, albeit those that haven’t necessarily been put together before in Gin form. Consider our interests raised… Theodore is inspired by the ancient tribe that once settled near the brand’s home in the Northern Highlands. whereas great Difficulties and Inconveniences have attended the putting the said Act in Execution, and the same hath not been found effectual to answer the Purposes thereby intended. . . 3 Many Pictish artefacts and engravings were discovered near Ardross in the Northern Highlands, which just so happens to be the home of Greenwood Distillers, a brand-new venture launched by Brosseau in 2018.