The Dean - Cheese & Cheeseboard Gin

Inspiration was taken from popular cheese accompaniments, including aperitifs like the Martinez and fortified wines, to create this special blend. A combination of barrel-aged sweet vermouth with a fig and grape-heavy gin, simply delicious when sipped neat with your delicately picked cheeseboard. Soft, fruity and pine-like to the nose, with smooth juicy-forest fruit flavours and a light smokey, warming spice accompanied with a bitter orange hint to finish.

Winner of a 3 Star Great Taste Award 2019, Mrs Kirkham's is top of its game for a traditional British Territorial cheese. It’s the last remaining raw milk Lancashire made in Britain, so it really is a slice of history. It is made with a recipe passed down through generations that produces an amazing depth of flavour. It has all the classic milky, lactic yogurt notes, accompanied with the trademark Lancashire crumble with a lovely, deep buttery angle. 

Cropwell Bishop Stilton is rubbed with salt to develop a strong and rich but creamy cheese with a lingering tang. The flavours are strenghtened by the blue mould veins that run throughout. The blueing of the Stilton added a bit of zing to the pairing - overall boozy, fruity notes without being too overpowering. The Martinez works well to cut through the creaminess in the cheese.

Perl Wen, similar to a Brie/Camembert style of soft cheese, having the same earthy and mushroomy notes, but with a much fresher flavour. It is a true twist of the classic Brie and cranberry flavour pairing. In relation to this match, the acidity in the cheese works well against the gin and the fresh flavours of the cheese works to lift out extra fruity notes from the gin -  a very festive tasting combo.