First Impressions
An Dúlamán Santa Ana — named for La Duquesa Santa Ana, an Andalusian ship from Philip II's Spanish Armada lost off Loughros Mor, Ardara, in 1588 — is Ireland's first navy strength gin. Sliabh Liag Distillers take their five-seaweed An Dúlamán Maritime Gin, age it in Rioja barrels, and bottle at the Armada strength of 57%. The Rioja casks give the gin a beautiful rose gold hue and add floral spice and orange-Madeira sweetness to the maritime base.
Tasting
Five Donegal seaweeds — sweet kombu, dulse, pepper dulse, dúlamán, and superfood carrageen moss — alongside juniper and other botanicals, aged in Rioja barrels. The nose takes you to the ocean: salt, oysters, seaweed, with Rioja's floral spice and orange sweetness. On the palate at 57%, remarkably soft: seaweed brine with subtle sweetness, lemon citrus burst, peppered heat. Blackberry, liquorice, candied peel, and rich orange from the barrel. The finish is rich orange warmth with persistent sea salt.
The Bottom Line
An Dúlamán Santa Ana earns a 9 — a gin of extraordinary ambition and execution. Five seaweeds, Rioja barrel-ageing, and 57% ABV could easily be a mess; instead it is magnificent. The maritime umami meets the Spanish wine barrel's fruit and spice in a combination that honours both the Donegal coast and the Armada's tragic history. Best neat where the rose gold colour and ocean-barrel complexity reveal themselves fully. At £45, one of the most innovative and emotionally resonant gins in the world.
