Surrey


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-lowdown">THE LOWDOWN</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-05.jpeg" alt="Silent Pool in the Surrey Hills." class="wp-image-52819" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-05.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-05-800x600.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-05-1000x750.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-05-400x300.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-05-768x576.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Silent Pool Gin has been around for only a decade, yet in those 10 years it&#8217;s made huge waves in the world of spirits. And this once small-batch gin is now sold in 48 countries around the world. The Australians, in particular, are said to love the stuff! </p>



<p>With such a widespread global market, you&#8217;d be forgiven for thinking production of this ultra-premium gin was on a mega scale. But you can think again. </p>



<p>The magic still happens at the original distillery overlooking the eponymous Silent Pool in the Surrey Hills just outside Guildford. Although these days the original copper still, Juliet, has been joined by a much bigger sister, Ophelia. More on those curvy copper girls later.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-vibe">THE VIBE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-01.jpeg" alt="The original copper still at Silent Pool Distillery in Surrey." class="wp-image-52815" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-01.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-01-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-01-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-01-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-01-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>The Silent Pool Distillery is housed in converted dairy barns on the Albury Estate in the beautiful Surrey Hills. It overlooks the Silent Pool, and the gentle tinkling of the Sherbourne Brook can heard as it makes its way down the hill, via the adjacent Sherbourne Pond, towards Shere.</p>



<p>It&#8217;s a charming spot &#8211; a hub of local artisan producers that also includes the Albury Organic Vineyard and Mandira&#8217;s Kitchen. The barns, all washed in black paint, give a rustic, homespun vibe to the setting. Behind them the chalky Surrey Hills rise up around us.</p>



<p>Silent Pool was founded here in 2014 by a group of locals who, united in their passion for artisan gin, decided over a boozy lunch (apparently) to start producing their own. Inspired by the the mystical Silent Pool, they approached the landowner, the Duke of Northumberland, seeking permission to restore the dilapidated barns and set up a distillery. </p>



<p>Said to be a big fan of gin, it was a no-brainer for him &#8211; and Silent Pool Distillers was born. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-tour">THE TOUR</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-02.jpeg" alt="A basket of botanicals that go into making Silent Pool gins." class="wp-image-52816" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-02.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-02-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-02-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-02-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-02-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>The 90-minute Silent Pool Distillery Tour gives visitors a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how this award-winning gin is made, alongside its history and evolution. And of course, there&#8217;s a certain amount of tasting involved too as you&#8217;re guided through the collection of gins that are Silent Pool.</p>



<p>Tours start with a wander down to the banks of the Silent Pool. Legend has it the pool is haunted by a maiden who drowned here in Roman times while she was trying to avoid the attentions of a knight on horseback. If you look closely at the intricate bottle of the original Silent Pool gin, you&#8217;ll find her image, and that of the knight, among the botanicals which are also depicted.</p>



<p>Our guide was the charming and knowledgeable Sam who has been hosting tours here for four years. What she doesn&#8217;t know about gin &#8211; Silent Pool gin in particular &#8211; probably isn&#8217;t worth knowing. She&#8217;s a wealth of information &#8211; but I&#8217;ll keep the spoilers to a minimum so I don&#8217;t scupper your own tour.</p>



<p>Moving on from the actual Silent Pool, we meet Juliet the original handmade copper still who today produces Silent Pool&#8217;s small batch gins. She&#8217;s fired by a vintage wood-fired steam boiler called The Old Major. A handsome devil he is, too.</p>



<p>Sam talks us through the stages of gin production, from the sourcing of botanicals to the four-stages of distillation and th bottling of the final product. We meet Ophelia, another copper beauty, who&#8217;s five times the size of Juliet and now is now responsible for most of the production. And we see the production line where bottles are filled and sealed.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-quaff">QUAFF</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-04.jpeg" alt="The gin selection at Silent Pool Distillery in Surrey." class="wp-image-52818" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-04.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-04-800x600.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-04-1000x750.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-04-400x300.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-04-768x576.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Silent Pool Distillers produce a range of gins &#8211; from the original Silent Pool gin to the popular Rose Expression and Rare Citrus gins. There&#8217;s the Admiral Collingwood Navy Strength, which at 57 per cent ABV is the strongest in the line-up, plus a range of small batch gins that includes a Damson Plum Gin Cordial and the Albury Winter Gin. There&#8217;s also a range called Green Man Wildwood Gin, which is the first spirit to be packaged in a cardboard bottle. Each gin has its own delicate flavour thanks the the infusion of carefully selected botanicals, many of which are locally sourced.</p>



<p>Silent Pool has a strong commitment to sustainability, and this local sourcing is an important part of the process &#8211; from the chamomile and elderflower that grows in abundance around the Silent Pool to roses and lavender found in Albury village. The water too, it&#8217;s worth noting, does actually come from the spring-fed Silent Pool. And the wood used the fire the steam boilers comes from trees that have fallen on the Albury Estate. </p>



<p>The gin tasting is an interesting and a fun way to learn about the botanicals &#8211; and you&#8217;ll be surprised a the subtle differences in taste. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-verdict">THE VERDICT</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-06.jpeg" alt="Silent Pool in the Surrey Hills." class="wp-image-52821" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-06.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-06-800x600.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-06-1000x750.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-06-400x300.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/03/Silent-Pool-Distillery-Tour-AE-06-768x576.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p><strong>Good for:</strong>&nbsp;Gin lovers, spirit-fiends and anyone who likes a drink. Great for gifting to hard-to-buy-for friends and family.</p>



<p><strong>Not for:&nbsp;</strong>If don&#8217;t enjoy gin you may want to swerve the tour, although that said, there&#8217;s a lot of fascinating gin history and local history. Children and those under 18 are not allowed on the tour for licencing and health and safety reasons so don&#8217;t bring them along!</p>



<p><strong>The damage:</strong> Tasting tours are on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and cost £25 per person. <a href="https://silentpooldistillers.com/silent-pool-distillery-tour/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Book here.</a></p>



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<p><em><strong><a href="https://silentpooldistillers.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Silent Pool Distillery</a>, Shere Road, Albury, Surrey, GU5 9BW</strong></em></p>


Review: Silent Pool Distillery Tour

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