Lind & Lime Gin – Our review of another amazing gin from Edinburgh

Of all the gins we’ve tried from Edinburgh, Lind and Lime are always recommended as the best. On forums like Reddit, gin review sites and people you speak to. It has an uncannily positive following of diehard fans and advocates, unlike any other gin we’ve come across. 

When you spend your life reviewing products and writing about them, you often find that something is popular – not because it is good – but because lots of people say it is good. It’s hard to be objective within a crowd. 

A local to Edinburgh, who writes for us, often says this very thing about Leith. This part of Edinburgh has a higher population of younger people who are more online, so products from there have the weight of numbers. Leith is bohemian, excentric and raw, which is naturally fertile ground cult following. The combination of a cult following, who are terminally online, is a recipe for making Leith a marketing machine. 

Our time testing Lind and Lime has revealed the answer to this quandary. Would you like to read on to learn whether Lind and Lime is a populist gin, or is it actually any good? 

Who are Lind and Lime Gin? 

The Lind and Lime gin distillery is based close to the port of Leith, in Edinburgh. It’s produced by Mucklebrig and launched in November 2018 by co-founders Ian Stirling and Paddy Fletcher. The name is inspired by Dr James Lind, an Edinburgh-born Navy surgeon who discovered that vitamin C deficiency was the cause of scurvy in sailors. 

The gin has been built around the story, making a maritime style gin, using citrus the centre point and a gentle spice. It is a refined London Dry gin, with its classic citrussy flavours and warm spice. 

Lind and Lime gin can be found in most places now. The brand has been a fixture of up-town bars for years now, it can be purchased in high street supermarkets and the gin has even been launched over the pond, in the USA.

So, let’s get onto flavour. What do we think for ourselves?

The review

Instantly, the bottle is striking. It is unexpected for a gin, and it looks a lot more like a wine bottle. That makes it stand out. The very first iteration of the gin was called Antidote, and the bottle certainly looks medicinal. 

Nose

Upon opening the bottle, the nose leads with a light, inviting and refreshing citrus, with a very subtle basenote of spice. Pepper and lime are a great combination, particularly on the nose. 

The taste

On the tongue, the citrus is joined by juniper, which is lip-slappingly tangy and morish. What gives the gin depth is the very subtle undercurrent of warming spice. It is very subtle, but the pink peppercorns come through, a touch of coriander and angelica. 

The contrast between the upfront tangy punch and warming spice gives the gin a refreshing, clean depth that is very unusual for a spirit of this kind. Jamie Oliver says that he absolutely loves this gin, which partly explains its popularity across the UK too. 

Verdict – 8/10

This is a spectacular gin that I could easily recommend to anybody. It leads with a simple idea and accentuates it with spice. It is great for those who love summery, zingy flavours, and would pair wonderfully with tonic or another simple preparation. You certainly don’t want this gin to get lost with other flavours. 

Cocktail ideas

I wanted to do something super simple that would bring out the flavour of the lime. I went for a sweet Mojito-style cocktail. First, I added a tea-spoon of sugar, a sprinkle of sea salt, and crushed in a few leaves of mint. I then mixed with a serving of the Lind & Lime gin. I then topped it up with a splash of lime juice.

It was a real tribute to Dr Lind. A full portion of Vitamin C, and Vitamin G (in).

Final Thoughts 

All in all, we do believe the hype is worth it. We can see why Lind and Lime are so popular, and it’s not just clever marketing or cult status. Although they seem to have those things too, the gin stands tall and does enough to please even the most avid of haters. 

In short, a great gin that I will be buying again and keeping as part of my gin selection.