Dillon’s are a brand that knows exactly what they are aiming for. they are small batch, hyper local craft distiller’s who want to give Canadian spirits a reputation boost.
And they are certainly doing that with their high quality and well-produced spirits and bitters.
They have a big focus on Whisky, seeking to create a Canadian Whisky that restores the category back to its renown of days gone by.
But while they wait on that to mature, they are currently making some of the finest Gins, Vodkas and bitters available today.
Dillon’s is a company that knows its roots and appreciates them. It was founded by Geoff Dillon and Gary Huggins and embodies their drive for creating good spirits.
Geoff’s dad Peter is also at the heart of the brand, not only as their Herbs and Botanicals Expert, but also simply for imparting such passion to his son.
They stick to traditional ways of distilling, but also always striving to use modern techniques. They are also very eco-conscious, seeking out ways to lower their impact on the earth.
Part of this is aided by their hyper local approach to sourcing ingredients. Most of what they use comes from nearby farms, where they know the farmers and can see the quality of the product.
In fact the grapes that they used to make their Gin comes straight from vineyards in Niagara, where they asked harvesters to drop grapes that would otherwise be left on the ground, into baskets instead.
This is an innovative brand that is constantly moving forward and developing the way they do things. And they are making damn fine spirits along the way.
One shining example of this is their Rose Gin. The base is a traditional London Dry Gin and it has been infused with rose hips and rose petals to give it a delightfully sweet and aromatic flavour.
The nose is full of Turkish Delight and herb notes. These go perfectly together, with the herbs adding a lovely depth to the sweetness of the rose.
The palate is mellow, with the rose coming across perfectly but not overwhelming the other flavours. The juniper berries give a nice pine note to the background that melts together with the floral aromas.
This is an elegant and sweet Gin that is perfect as an aperitif or in cocktails. The finish is drying, with lots more rose and some citrus notes appearing.