The Citrologist Amalfi Lemon Special Edition Gin

Amalfi lemons grow on the sun-drenched Amalfi Coast of southern Italy, and The Citrologist chose them for this special edition because they are surprisingly sweet while keeping enough acidity for a nicely balanced citrus. The distillery sums up the result as a taste of sunshine in a glass.

Citrus · Dry · Limited Edition

The Galashiels distillery behind the brand, The Wildings, uses the fruit fresh, adding peel and pulp to the distilling chamber rather than working with dried peel, and juniper keeps the gin dry. Because the lemons are seasonal, each batch is limited: once they are gone, so is the gin. Like the rest of the Special Edition range, its strength is 42% ABV, and it is offered as a 700 ml bottle or a 50 ml miniature. The core citrus line of The Citrologist also includes Key Lime, Pink Grapefruit and Lemon gins.

The Amalfi Coast is famous for its lemons, large, elongated fruits with thick, fragrant skin and a sweet, mild juice, grown on terraces that overlook the sea and long used to make limoncello. Their low acidity compared with ordinary lemons is what makes them pleasant enough to eat in slices, and it explains the rounder, sunnier citrus of this gin. Limoncello itself is made by steeping the peel in alcohol, which shows how much aroma the skin of these lemons holds.

In the glass, that sweetness shows as a broad lemon aroma, followed by bright acidity and a gentle bitterness from the peel, before juniper returns on the finish and keeps the fruit from tasting like cordialCordialA concentrated syrup of fruit (often lime) and sugar, made to be topped up.Glossary. In a highballHighballA long drink served in a tall, straight glass with plenty of ice: a spirit topped with soda or tonic. The word also names the glass.Glossary with light tonicLight tonicA low- or no-sugar tonic, often sweetened with substitutes. Drier, it brings out the bitterness and the gin.Glossary, the balance between sweet fruit and bitter peel stays clear, and a wheel of fresh lemon repeats the fruit. The gin also makes a sunny French 75French 75Gin, lemon juice and sugar, topped with champagne. It is named after the French 75 mm field gun of the First World War.Glossary, the classic mix of gin, lemon juice, sugar and sparkling wine.