Flybe / July 18

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58 / Flight Time / JULY 2018
Travel
Chris explained how gin was made,
and worked with each of us to identify the
predominant tastes and flavours we were
looking for. This was done using a tasting
wheel, on which we graded the key flavours,
namely juniper, citrus, spice, floral and herbal,
according to our individual tastes.
I chose to go big on juniper, hopefully
lending it a classic gin taste, with just a hint of
yarrow, and a middling amount of bog myrtle,
which gives it the citrus flavour. But first we had
to grind the juniper berries with a floor-standing
pestle and mortar, a process which released an
intense gin aroma, not to mention working the
triceps. We applied the same elbow grease to
that day’s bog myrtle and yarrow, crushing it to
release the flavours before measuring it out.
Under Chris’ watchful eye, I added the
wheat grain spirit to my carefully-chosen
botanicals, the local flora complemented by
Jamaican black pepper to heighten the spicy
notes, lemon peel to accentuate the citrus, and
cassia bark to offer a hint of cinnamon. These
were left to steep in a warm place overnight,
with Chris agitating them regularly to ensure
maximum flavour.
In fact, the secret to effective agitation may
well have been the rampant ceilidh held in
Strathmashie House on Saturday night!
F L I G H T D E TA I L S
Flybe has flights to
Inverness from Belfast City,
Birmingham and Jersey.
THE FRUITS OF OUR LABOURS
On Sunday morning, slightly bleary-eyed, we
sealed our copper stills with a rudimentary flour
and water concoction to stop vapours escaping,
before heating it over a hot flame. When the
still temperature reached 78.370C (the boiling
point for ethanol), the liquid began to drip
slowly into the jar, its flavour continuously
changing as the botanicals infused.
We tasted our gins as they distilled, noting
with wonder the considerable changes in taste
and smell as they approached completion. After
about an hour and a half, 750ml of gin had been
distilled. This was bottled, fittingly, in a beautiful
limited-edition Daffy’s Gin bottle, complete with
Red Paddle Co logo to mark the occasion.
We were exceedingly sad to say goodbye to
our lovely hosts at Daffy’s Gin, including the
noisy menagerie which assembled to see us off.
But I know that each G&T I pour this summer
will transport me back to paddleboarding along
beautiful Loch Spey in the spring sunshine…
ESSENT I AL
I NFORMAT ION
The Daffy’s/Red Paddle
Wilderness (SUP / foraging)
course is £100 - £120 +
accommodation at Butlers
Flat (£80-£100 per night,
sleeps 5) or Distillery Cottage
(£180 per night, sleeps 8)
Forage at Strathmashie and
make your own gin (3 hours)
for £90 per person
Boards can be hired
via Wilderness SUP
, or via
Tiso stores in Glasgow,
Aberdeen, Aviemore
Inverness or Perth (
hire). Boards are £35 per
day, or £60 for 3 days
Clockwise, from above: The gin
flavours change as it distils; Chris guides
us in our gin-making session; Daffy’s Gin
cocktails proved popular