Amuerte Coca Leaf Gin Black

Coca leaf is not a botanical most distillers can simply order. Amuerte sources its leaves from Peru through partnerships with local agricultural producers, set up to guarantee traceability and to keep the use of coca within national and international regulations, then distils them in Belgium into a London Dry ginLondon DryA style, not a place of origin: every flavour comes from distilling natural botanicals. After distillation only water and a trace of sugar may be added, with no flavouring or colouring.GlossarySee London Dry gins bottled at 43%.

Dry · Spicy · Fruity · Herbal

The botanical list is short and specific: Peruvian coca leaves, Sichuan pepperSichuan pepperNot a true pepper but the berry of a prickly ash: citrus, lavender and a tingle that slightly numbs the lips.Glossary, finger limeFinger limeAn Australian citrus whose pulp forms tiny tart pearls that burst in the mouth.Glossary and coriander, built on the juniper that the London Dry category requires. Coca gives the gin its green, vegetal thread, and production is designed around extracting that character in a controlled way. Sichuan pepper brings a tingling heat that builds steadily rather than biting. Finger lime, the Australian citrus whose pulp comes in small caviar-like beads, supplies a fresh, sharp lift at the end. As with any London Dry, nothing is added once distillation is over: no sweetening, no flavouring, no colour.

On the nose the profile is dry and herbal, with juniper structure and the green aromatic line of the coca leaves.

The palate follows a clear sequence, from the rising warmth of the pepper to the citrus freshness of the finger lime, with restrained fruit and a dry, linear finish. The Black edition is also known for its bottle, finished in black and gold with 24-carat gold elements, which has made it one of the more recognisable gins on a premium shelf.

Thomas Henry Tonic Water, a classic tonic with a firm quinineQuinineAn alkaloid from cinchona bark that gives tonic its bitterness. The British in India drank it against malaria and added gin: the gin and tonic was born.Glossary line, suits the dryness of the gin. Garnish with a slice of orange and a piece of dried dragon fruit, the orange adding a softer citrus than the finger lime and the dragon fruit a discreet sweetness against the pepper. For a stronger reading of the botanicals, a dry martiniDry MartiniGin and a little dry vermouth, stirred over ice and served in a well-chilled stemmed glass, with an olive or a twist.Glossary keeps the pepper and the citrus perfectly distinct.