Taylor & Smith Gin

Apples from Tasmania's Huon Valley are distilled into the eau-de-vie that forms the base of Taylor & Smith Gin. Made in Hobart in batches of 200 and bottled at 40% ABV, it starts from a softer, fruitier spirit than a gin built on neutral grain alcoholNeutral spiritAgricultural spirit rectified to at least 96% ABV, almost tasteless. It is the base later flavoured with botanicals.Glossary. Nine of its seventeen botanicals are named: juniper, sweet-scented kunzea, hand-harvested kombu, Tasmanian pepperberries, leatherwood honey, coriander, orris, angelica and blood orange.

Citrus · Spicy · Herbal

The list moves between very different landscapes. Kunzea is an aromatic native shrub with a fresh, slightly minty scent; kombu brings a marine, savoury note; leatherwood honey connects the gin to Tasmania's flowering forests. Pepperberries add a local, slowly building spice, while blood orange brings a familiar citrus note. Coriander, orris and angelica provide a classic framework around the juniper.

On the nose, bright citrus and pepper come first, followed by green, resinousResinousAn aroma reminiscent of pine or fir resin. It is juniper's signature, due to compounds such as pinene.Glossary and lightly savoury notes; the kombu and honey add contrast rather than sweetness.

The apple base and the botanicals keep the gin firmly in the dry, juniper-ledJuniper-forwardA classic profile where juniper clearly dominates, with resinous, piney notes.Glossary family while giving it a distinctly Tasmanian character. Taylor & Smith publishes a BrambleBrambleA cocktail created in London in the 1980s: gin, lemon and sugar over crushed ice, drizzled with blackberry liqueur.Glossary recipe, where blackberry and lemon meet the blood orange and the pepperberry, showing that the gin works in a fruit-led cocktail as well as in a long drink. At 40%, it stays smooth enough to taste neat, where the apple spirit is easiest to notice.

For a gin and tonic, fill a balloon glassCopa glassA large stemmed balloon glass, popularised by the Spanish gin and tonic: it stays cold for longer and gathers the aromas above the drink.Glossary with clear ice, add 4 cl of gin and 10 cl of chilled Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water, and stir once. An apple slice nods to the base spirit, and a kunzea sprig brings one of the native botanicals to the nose. Crush the kunzea lightly to release its fresh scent.