It’s a kinda of magic …
A Gold winner of one of 2019 Taste of the West Awards, Thunderflower Gin’s flavour is as mystical as its name – in a thoroughly good way; perhaps there is a little magic in creating a gin that offers both a warm and aromatic spicy finish, but also manages to retain an incredible smoothness – sorcery afoot, surely …
The name of the gin is derived from an old Devon legend that says the tiny white thunderflowers that often grow on thatched cottage roofs or the craggy stonecrops of Dartmoor can ward off both lightning and witchcraft.
The spirit was launched in 2018, and is distilled at the Thunderflower Distillery in Devon using the London Dry method as a ‘one-shot’ process: the distillation run means that apart from water for dilution, the spirit isn’t altered beyond the vapour interacting with the botanicals.
The makers prefer vapour infusion rather than boiling or steeping the botanicals, which is perhaps where the magic touches, in creating such a smooth gin. With just pure Dartmoor spring water added – there is no ethanol present, or artificial colouring, flavours or sweeteners in this 42% ABV infusion.
I would most definitely buy this small-batch gin again. Juniper-led, and full-bodied, the botanicals include coriander, green and black cardamom, liquorice and angelica root, elderflower and sage; not forgetting the fiery pink peppercorns and cassia bark – the latter accounting for the warm and spicy notes to the nose as well as the finish.
The lemon and lemon grass contained within beautifully contrast the savoury element of this tipple trickery, especially in a G&T with Indian tonic and a wedge of lime. But, it is absolutely magic on its own, with a single cube of ice.
It really is a kinda magic …
While writing this review, I just can’t get Queen’s anthem from the film Highlander out of my head, so here it is for you to enjoy too:
[…] citrus fruits and the gunpowder tea are loaded into baskets for vapour infusion; as per the Thunderflower Juliet reviewed […]