Citadelle Jardin D'été French Gin

It's rare to get a sense of place from a gin, but the aromas alone from Citadelle's new Jardin d'ete will transport you to a garden in France. For the last 25 years Alexandre Gabriel and his wife Debbie have been making handcrafted gin in a small village in Charente in SW France. This new release was inspired by Debbie's garden at the Château de Bonbonnet, which she's filled with flowers, herbs, and fruit trees. The gin is infused with 22 fruits and aromatics including lemon zest, yuzu, cardamom, Sichuan pepper, star anise, and juniper grown in an orchard across the road. Citrus and pine aromas lead to to lemon drops, lemon pith, and orange zest with a hint of baking spices on the finish. It's delicate and fresh, excellent with tonic or in a martini with a twist of lemon.