Le Tribute Gin - fresh yet dry enough

Made by the same folks who created the award-winning Gin Mare, this gin is a tribute to the pioneers and heritage behind spirits. It features a hefty load of vibrant botanicals distilled over seven distillations, including juniper, lime, kumquat, lemon, pink and green grapefruit, mandarin, lemongrass, bitter and sweet oranges – distilled in that order. The bottle is designed to look like an antique medicine bottle.

LE TRIBUTE Gin has an incredibly bright, citrus nose. It’s fleshy and fruity, with the lime, lemon, grapefruit and orange all contributing, while the tangerine in particular bringing a deliciously decadent boiled sweet smell to the fore.

Juniper and lemongrass conspire to form a green, grassy and herbal bed upon which the citruses lay. The fruits are never present in their individual form, rather they’ve combined and mutated into a hulk-sized monster – something huge, loud and aggressive. It fills the senses – if James and the Giant Peach was about a lemongrass and tangerine hybrid, sipping this is as close as you’ll ever feel to being the titular character. The juniper is forced into the background as a result but it still plays a palpable role in anchoring the overall flavour profile.

With tonic, a rich grapefruit smell remains, though the rest of the citrus is slightly muted. This translates to the taste, too; when diluted, the spirit seems to expand sideways, allowing the juniper and lemongrass to bob up to the surface and make brief, but welcome, appearances. It’s really quite delicious – one to quaff in the garden on a warm summers day.

*The Gin Guide