Citadelle

Citadelle was created by Alexandre Gabriel, owner of Maison Ferrand, a highly regarded Cognac house. Restrictions imposed by the Cognac AOC meant that the copper pot stills stood dormant between April and October, and after five years of negotiations Alexandre managed to get authorisation to instead distill gin during this time period. Launched in 1996, CItadelle was one of the first gins to move drinkers away from Gordons and begin the gin boom that we see today.

Citadelle Jardin dEte - or 'Summer Garden' - is an expression tailor made for enjoying on warm Summer evenings with friends. Inspired by a summer garden cultivated by Alexandre's wife Debbie, Citadelle use the 19 original botanicals used in their 'standard' gin (juniper berries, lemon zest, cardamom, cubeb, coriander, nutmeg, Sichuan pepper, cinnamon, cassia, licorice, angelica, iris, almonds, fennel, cumin, star anise, savory and violet) alongside additions of melon flesh, whole lemons, orange peel and the zest of yuzu, a fruit native to Japan that resembles a cross between a lemon and a grapefruit.

The result as you might expect is an incredible fresh and fruity gin, which also has a delicate floral note to it as well. The melon is apparent despite the vast array of other botanicals, and the yuzu adds a real zing on the finish. But there's also a spicy side towards the finish, adding a gentle peppery note at the end which lifts the overall flavour and doesn't just make it ALL citrus fruit. It will of course work with tonic - and there's enough backbone to work with any tonic - but soda and mint leave will also pair beautifully, and the mixologists amongst you will have a ball playing around with this - it's particularly good in a Clover Club or a White Rabbit!