Citadelle Gin de France

Citadelle Gin is triple-distilled in the Cognac region of France by producer Pierre Ferrand using wheat and spring water. Before being steeped in neutral alcohol, the master distiller selects the 19 botanicals that will complement the freshness of the juniper with tart, floral and exotic flavours. A work of fine balance, it allows the flavours and aromas to intermingle in a perfect harmony. Once the steeping is complete, the infusion is then distilled in small Charentais pot stills with an open flame. The slow distillation allows the distiller to precisely select the heart of the gin, whilst the relatively low swan's neck favours the concentration of essential oils; all of which contributing to the gin's aromatic quality.

Style

Dry Gin

Key Botanicals

19 different botanicals, juniper berries, almond, orris root, fennel, aniseed, grains of paradise, orange peel, cardamom, violet root, lemon peel, coriander seeds, cubeb berries, cassia bark, liquorice root, savory, nutmeg, angelica root, cumin & cinnamon.

Nose: Citadelle Gin exudes delicate aromas of fresh flowers highlighted by more assertive citric scents.

Palate: More intense, herbaceous notes of juniper and anise; then, the spicy cinnamon bringing a very gourmand dimension to the gin. On the palate, the juniper cedes to a long, voluptuous, spicy fragrance.

Finish: Long, spicy, floral.

Perfect Serve

Premium tonic garnished with a lemon zest. In the colder months try with a cinnamon stick and an orange twist.

Nolan - Text from the Spotlight on the Lower-Strength Spirits of France blog

Citadelle is a gin brand produced by Cognac producer, Maison Ferrand, who's brandies we visited in the sister blog of this one, The Spotlight on the full strength spirit styles of France.

In the fields across from the distillery, Ferrand have juniper bushes growing, it was these bushes that inspired Alexandre Gabriel to start producing gin in 1996. Ferrand's full juniper harvest adds up to a only a proportion of the juniper berries needed to fulfil Citadelle's needs. Full access to their own juniper however is a rarity in the gin world, I can only think of one UK gin that uses its own juniper berries but, just as with Citadelle, they also do not manage to grow enough to be fully self-reliant.

Prior to distillation, the full list of 19 botanicals in the standard Citadelle recipe are macerated in neutral, wheat alcohol. This maceration is performed separately at different ABVs and for differing lengths of time depending on the delicacy of the botanicals. The full line up of botanicals that go into the standard Citadelle recipe are:

Juniper berries, almond, orris root, fennel seed, aniseed, grains of paradise, orange peel, cardamom, violet root, lemon peel, coriander seeds, cubeb berries, cassia bark, liquorice root, savory, nutmeg, angelica root, cumin & cinnamon.

Citadelle gin is distilled on classic, direct fired Charentes style alembic pot stills. The result is a brightly aromatic gin which exudes delicate aromas of fresh flowers highlighted by more assertive citric scents. The nose becomes more intense with herbaceous notes of juniper and anise, then, the spicy cinnamon comes forward bringing a very gourmand dimension to the gin. On the palate, the juniper cedes to a long, voluptuous, spiciness. I find the standard release to be highly versatile, serving as a G&T, try with classic Indian tonic water, simply garnished with a lemon zest in summer, or in the colder months, try with a cinnamon stick and an orange twist.

Citadelle do of course produce a wide range of different variations which are well worth taking a look at. Jardin D'Ete, the Summer Garden Gin, blends in whole lemons, fresh yuzu zest, melon flesh & orange peel. The “Rouge” involves steeping fruits such as fresh cranberry, raspberry, blackberry, blackcurrant, and rhubarb in spirits before distillation leading to a “pink gin” flavour profile but fully dry and also…not at all pink. Vive Le Cornichon is predictably distilled with cornichons, making this the ultimate gin for a Dirty Martini or a Gibson cocktail.