Tasting Notes: Colonsay Cait Sith Gin (September Subscription)
This month I’ll be taking you to the Highlands for stories of mythical beasties.
Cats have always featured prominently in folklore and culture. They were bestowed mystical status by the ancient Egyptians and their god Bastet was said to take on cat form. So venerated were they, that killing one was illegal and, according to Greek historian (and, admittedly, occasional teller of porkies) Herodotus, when a family’s cat died, they had to shave their eyebrows.
In the West we developed our own bizarre tales of cats that reflected less awe and more fear. They would climb upon the chests of children and steal their breath. As a cat allergic asthmatic I can confirm the veracity of this. Black cats are of course considered omens of good luck and bad, and in middle ages Western Europe, cats gained a starring role in people’s fears for being companions to witches and sorcerers.
However, it’s to Scotland that we must venture to hear the legend of the Cait Sith (pronounced cat shee). The Cait Sith is a fairy cat creature said to be the size of a dog, covered in black fur save for a white patch on its belly. Seemingly the cait sith could steal your soul if it discovered your corpse before you were buried. It was popularised in the folk tale ‘King of the Cats’. There are various versions of this story. You’ll need to pay close attention because it’s total nonsense to modern ears, but they all revolve around a cat announcing to someone that they should tell x person (unknown to the protagonist) that y person (also unknown) is dead. The person who has received this strange information then goes home and recounts the story to someone else, at which point their cat proclaims “then I am the king of the cats” before disappearing up the chimney. Despite being outright weird the story has been retold by various people in various places. In the most famous version the cat who proclaims himself King of the Cats is called Old Tom.
Which brings us to the gin! Wild Thyme Spirits are based on the beautiful Hebridean Isle of Colonsay, a mere 10 miles long with a population of 135. Wild Thyme have some exceptional gins, but of all their delightful concoctions, it’s their Old Tom style gin, the Cait Sith, released just last year, that I’ve been excited about since I tried it.
On the nose there’s juniper, which is tempered by the sweetness. On the palate there’s subtle citrus and enchanting vanilla notes before a smooth finish of licorice. I love Old Toms because they’re so easy to enjoy neat and no two are the same. The Cait Sith is a treat. The trick with Old Toms is knowing how much you can compromise the botanicals in the pursuit of the smooth sweet finish and Cait Sith is superbly balanced in that respect. The vanilla notes in particular are what sets it apart.
Add some tonic and magic happens! Grapefruit comes out of nowhere! It’s like a different gin. I’ve included some tonics and just in case you manage to enjoy just one more day of sunshine, there’s some lemonade. You’ll also find a grapefruit for garnish. I’d recommend a chunk rather than a twist.
Until next month my trusty crew - keep your gunpowder dry and your tankards wet.
Best wishes and starfishes,
The Captain