Tarocco blood oranges carry this special edition from The Citrologist, bottled at 42% ABV and distilled in Galashiels, south of Edinburgh. The variety is grown mainly in Sicily, has a short season and is widely held to be among the finest oranges there is, which is why the bottling comes and goes with the harvest.

Tarocco is known for a red blush on the skin and pink-crimson flesh, and the flavour follows: sweet orange fragrance with a berry depth behind it. On the palate that gives a fuller, rounder citrus than a lemon-led gin, balanced by an acidity that keeps the finish clean. The distillers describe a balance of acidity and berry flavours, and the smoothness that comes with it. Among the many orange-led gins on the shelf, few start from a fruit with this much depth. The colour of a Tarocco depends on cold nights during ripening, which is one reason the season stays short and every bottling of it strictly limited in number.

Special editions are the part of the range where the rarer fruits appear, and they follow the growing calendar rather than a marketing plan. Each of these releases is cut and pressed by hand, zest and juice together, and sold in full bottles as well as 50ml samples for anyone curious enough to try several at once.

Simplicity suits it. Build the drink with 4cl of gin, large ice cubes and 10cl of well-chilled tonic, then rest one thin blood orange wheel on top. It adds colour and scent without the juice that would flatten the citrus line. Taste before adjusting the mixer: with a fruit this aromatic, a heavy pour costs more than it gains. When the season ends, the bottle disappears until the following winter brings new fruit.