Puhoi Saffron & Apple Gin

Natural apple juice gives Puhoi Saffron & Apple Gin its gentle sweetness, while New Zealand-grown saffron contributes its golden colour. The distillery makes this 38% ABV gin in an Old TomOld TomAn 18th-century English style, lightly sweetened or rounder, halfway between genever and London Dry. It is back in favour for classic cocktails.GlossarySee Old Tom gins style and uses fragrant apples from old-variety trees in spray-free orchards. Apple and saffron are the two named ingredients that define the bottle.

Spicy · Fruity

Apple brings a rounded fruit aroma and a soft sweetness to the palate. Saffron adds a delicate, warm spice and its golden hue, while juniperJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary keeps the spirit within the familiar frame of gin. The juice also gives the mouthfeel a smoother impression, as the producer describes. The balance is measured rather than syrupy: fruit comes first, saffron follows, and the finish retains enough spice to stay composed.

Puhoi bottles this gin at 38% ABV and presents it as a sipping gin that also works in cocktails. The Old Tom style comes from natural sweetening with apple juice; it remains a gin, not a liqueur. The apples are selected from old varieties and the saffron is grown in New Zealand. The distillery describes the colour as coming from those ingredients, so the amber tone is part of the recipe rather than an added visual effect. Served neat, apple and saffron can be followed in turn; with tonic, the bitterness gives the fruit a lighter, more refreshing shape.

For a longer serve, combine 4.5 cl gin with 10 cl Thomas Henry Elderflower Tonic over ice. Elderflower adds a light floral note alongside the apple, while the tonic's bitterness reins in the natural sweetness. Add a thin apple slice and a few saffron threads to the drink, then arrange the same garnishes beside the glass. Stir once, lightly. The apple keeps the fruit clear and the saffron gives the aroma a warm, delicate finish.