Poulton Hill Estate, Sloe De Vie, Nv - 35cl
Poulton Hill Estate, Sloe De Vie, Nv - 35cl
- 35cl
- 40%
- Spirits
- Sloe
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About Poulton Hill Estate, Sloe De Vie, Nv - 35cl
This wonderful Sloe de Vie from Poultry Hill Estate displays delicious fruit flavours of sloes hand-picked at the peak of ripeness following our harvest on the vineyard in 2015.
Once fermented, the sloe wine was triple distilled and then bottled. The delicate aromas and freshness of the fruit have been preserved, resulting in a spirit of exceptional smoothness. It is a wonderful digestif, and is the perfect way to round off a special meal.
As a triple-distilled fruit spirit, this Sloe de Vie is not designed to evolve in the way a wine or aged spirit would — what you open now is essentially what it was bottled as. That said, once opened, the fruit character remains vibrant for several weeks if the bottle is kept cool and sealed.
Tasting Notes
AppearancePale gold with a faint blush, clear and bright in the glass.
NoseThe wild, tart character of sloe comes through immediately — sharp hedgerow fruit, a whisper of almond skin, and something almost floral underneath. There is none of the jammy sweetness you might expect; this smells genuinely like fruit rather than flavouring.
PalateSmooth and clean, with the triple distillation doing its job without stripping the fruit of its identity. The sloe's natural tartness keeps everything lively, balanced against a gentle warmth from the spirit. It finishes dry rather than sweet, which is exactly right.
FinishCrisp and clean, with a lingering note of wild fruit and a faint bitter-almond echo that keeps you coming back.
Overall impressionA genuinely elegant English fruit spirit — more eau de vie than liqueur, and all the better for it.
Food Pairings
In the Cotswolds, this would naturally follow a long Sunday lunch — perhaps roast lamb or a farmhouse cheese board — served in small glasses as the conversation slows and the fire burns low. Dark chocolate works brilliantly, the bitterness of the cocoa amplifying the wild fruit in the spirit. It also holds its own alongside a wedge of aged hard cheese, something like a Cotswold or a mature Cheddar, where the acidity cuts through the fat cleanly. If you want something lighter, a few squares of good dark chocolate and a comfortable chair is really all you need.
We think this wine would go well with
Serve well chilled — ideally straight from the fridge or with a brief spell in an ice bucket — in a small tulip-shaped glass or a standard digestif glass that will concentrate the fruit aromas. No need to decant. A single large ice cube works if you prefer it slightly diluted and even colder, though neat is how we drink it. This is a spirit for sipping, not rushing.
Poulton Hill sits in the rolling Cotswold countryside of Gloucestershire, where the soils are predominantly limestone-rich brash over the classic oolitic Cotswold stone. The elevation and free-draining soils suit both vine and hedgerow fruit, with the sloes benefiting from the same cool ripening conditions that give English wines their characteristic freshness and acidity. The surrounding hedgerows and woodland add a genuinely wild dimension to the fruit quality.
There is no formal appellation governing English fruit spirits of this kind — Sloe de Vie sits outside the regulated categories of gin or sloe gin, functioning instead as an eau de vie-style distillate made from fermented sloe fruit. As such, it is not bound by the rules of any DO or GI, but that freedom is part of what makes it interesting: producers like Poulton Hill can follow their instincts rather than a rulebook.
FAQs
What does Sloe de Vie actually taste like?
Think of it as an eau de vie made from sloes rather than grapes — the wild, tart hedgerow fruit character is very much present, balanced by a clean warmth from the triple distillation. It is dry rather than sweet, smooth rather than fiery, and genuinely distinctive.
Is this the same as sloe gin?
Not at all. Sloe gin is made by macerating sloes in gin with sugar added. This Sloe de Vie is made by fermenting the sloe fruit itself and then triple distilling it, producing something much closer to a fruit brandy or eau de vie — drier, purer, and more fruit-forward.
What food should I serve it with?
This is a natural digestif, best after something rich. Try it alongside dark chocolate, aged hard cheese, or a good cheese board. It also works well after roast lamb or a hearty winter meal — anywhere you want something to gently close proceedings.
How should I serve it?
Serve well chilled in a small tulip or digestif glass, neat or with a single large ice cube if you prefer. Keep it in the fridge once opened and it will stay in excellent condition for several weeks.
Is the 35cl bottle enough to share?
For two people finishing a meal, comfortably. For four, you will want to be measured with the pours — which, at digestif strength, is exactly how it should be served anyway.
OUR GROWERS
Poulton Hill Estate
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