Damson gin ageing

I can't really find a definitive answer to this on google so I thought I might garner some advice from some of our more sozzled site members! I've had my damsons steeping in gin for around a fortnight now and very purple and delicious it looks. I plan to bottle it on around November and wondered if this Christmas would be okay to crack it open. Some people reckon on keeping it another year though. Does it need aging for a year or will it drink well this coming Christmas Day night by the fire?!?

It should be ready to drink by Christmas,- Christmas 2016  ! ! !  at least.    I should forget it after removing the sloes and buy some sloe gin in.    Cheers,    Tony.

I take it you're not a fan then Kleftie? Oh dear, have I wasted a litre of Greenall's finest 40% gin?!?

Before my damson tree met an untimely end, I always opened a bottle on the 25th Dec. Its perfectly drinkable.  It does however get better if you leave it longer.

Thread update!! My damson gin now looks very pink and very potent! I am going to bottle it back into the gin bottle the original gin came in but my question is do i need to sterilse the bottle or can i plonk it straight back in? Thanks a lot!!