Dillon’s is a distillery with family at the heart. It was founded when Geoff Dillon sought the hand of Gary Huggins’ daughter.
One of the terms of permission from Gary was that Geoff be pursuing an MBA or be involved in a business with the aim of gaining one. As such, Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers was born.
Geoff has a lot of passion for what he does, which he says comes from his father, Peter, who is the distillery’s Herbs and Botanicals Expert.
They are part of a wider movement of craft distillers who have popped up all over the world, and are also focussed on bringing renown back to Canadian spirits.
Geoff says, “I feel we have lost our way in the world spirits game. Canadian Whisky no longer carries the same significance it once did and I believe the craft producers, who are gaining in numbers, are going to be introducing a whole new level of interesting and unique Canadian spirits to our country.”
By their nature as a craft and small batch producer, Dillon’s is a hyper local brand, sourcing their ingredients from nearby farms and liaising directly with the farmers who produce them.
They source their Niagara grapes from local producers, choosing fruits which would normally be left on the ground during harvest.
They are also traditionalists, sticking to classic forms of distilling but not shying away from modern techniques. They pride themselves on creating high quality products that are authentic and showcase the best of what Canadian spirits has to offer.
Their Unfiltered Gin 22 is a brilliant example of what they are trying to achieve. It has an incredible 22 different botanicals in it and is meant to be cloudy to show that it remains unfiltered.
It has been vapour distilled and is definitely the way forward in bringing back fame and glory to Canadian spirits. The several awards and 93 points it was given by Wine Enthusiast in 2015 are certainly accolades worth shouting about.
The botanicals are present from the very beginning, where the nose is full of floral and herby notes.
It is soft and easy going, but packed full of flavour just wating to be unleashed.
And once it hits your palate you can really taste them all. The floral noes continue, with a refreshing citrus flavour and a good dose of juniper.
There is a slightly earthy and wooded tone coming through. These notes have a slightly vanilla essence to them.
The finish is dry, with more citrus and floral sweetness to it.