First Impressions
6 O'Clock Sloe Gin comes from Bramley & Gage, a company with decades of experience in fruit liqueurs before they made gin. Handpicked sloes from near their Gloucester distillery are steeped with a high sloe-to-gin ratio, moderate sugar, and plenty of time — the tried-and-tested method that rewards patience.
Tasting
The nose delivers dark swirling chocolate and macerated cherries with gin-forward juniper smoke. On the palate, decadent bright plummy sloe berries — intensely dry and fruity, bittersweet and puckering with warming cardamom spice. The finish shows sumptuous acidity with a drying close — perfect harmony between tartness and sweetness.
The Bottom Line
6 O'Clock Sloe Gin earns an 8 for a textbook sloe gin from makers who understood fruit liqueurs before gin was cool. The gin-forward character distinguishes it from overly sweet competitors, and the drying finish keeps you coming back. One of the finest commercial sloe gins available.
