Day Six – Bush Tucker Gin – Chilgrove Spirits

Day Six – Bush Tucker Gin – Chilgrove Spirits

Style: London Dry

ABV: 46%

Notable Botanicals: English – Coriander, Mint, Angelica, and Savoury; Australia – Finger Limes, Riberries, Davidson Plums and Lemon Myrtle.

The Tasting Experience: 

Good thin legs make their way down the sides of the glass. The liquid itself is crystal clear. The gin looks very unassuming, despite information from Master of Malt stating this as a grape-based spirit. Lots of oils cling to the sides of the glass that are likely from the mint, finger limes, berries and plums.

The aroma itself doesn’t give away too much. It mostly denotes a dryness from juniper, as well as some herbal, and citrus. Some mint comes up behind the hotness of the ethanol.

For a grape-based spirit the mouthfeel is not too overwhelming. This is the reason I had issues with brandy and other grape spirits in the past, I just find the mouthfeel too overwhelming. Here the grapes seem to add more of a smoothness. The initial flavour boasts a lot of bright citrus, herbal notes, and a cooling mint. This gin has a spiciness that reflects the genevres of Holland. A slight fruity sweetness lingers on the finish.

I do recommend chilling this down with a couple of ice cubes, and some tonic. This brings out more of the sweetness of some of the botanicals, but doesn’t diminish the spicy notes.

Who is Chilgrove Spirits?

Chilgrove Spirits is a distillery based in the village of Chilgrove in West Sussex, U.K. The company makes three gins (a signature gin, a bluewater edition, and their blackberry-infused Bramble gin) and a vodka. The distillery was founded by a husband and wife team, Christopher and Celia Beaumont-Hutchings. The Bush Tucker gin is a special edition of Chilgrove’s Bluewater Edition Gin, but only with the lemon myrtle amped up. The Bluewater Gin is special in how it infuses four botanicals from England, and four botanicals unique to Australia.