Citadelle Gin

Juniper hits right off the bat. Strong flavors, great for G & T!

I'd run out of my favorite Monkey 47 and my second favorite The Botanist, so off to Total Wine I went. While I was perusing the reviews and looking at the selection I noticed that this gin has some pretty positive ink and a very attractive price. Life's too short to wonder about such things, so a bottle went into the cart for an up-close and personal interview. Tasted neat from a glencairn - it's not my normal gin format but it is a fair way to establish just what this is before I introduce it to vermouth and bitters. Fragrant juniper and sweet florals greet the intruding nose, but there's really no ethanol or (thankfully) acetone to spoil the impact. Too often I find a promising gin compromised by a lackluster GNS base. This seems to have a certain measure of quality right from the start. There's a bit more evergreen than I find in Bombay Sapphire (my bar staple), but they are closer in fragrance than one might guess. The Bombay's nose is a bit sweeter and lighter, the Citadelle's richer and "greener". On the palate this is superbly balanced, slightly bitter, vegetal and with a forward juniper presence. It avoids sweetness, being just slightly less sweet than the Bombay Sapphire and a bit richer. The overall palate leans towards spices; anise, juniper, pine, cardamom fennel and coriander. I don't get too much of the citrus in this pour. The finish is clean, the mouthfeel rich. It's not as insanely complex as Monkey 47 (what is?), nor is it as deeply herbaceous as The Botanist. It is quite nice and is certainly competitive with my long-term regular Bombay. I can't wait to try this in a Martini. This is a fine pour for the price, absolutely.