Once I received the prototypes I reviewed them as I would in a spirits competition, Non-partial judge and scoring as I went. I immediately found some were a gorgeous “Scandi-style” gin that had a rich palette, with complex yet balanced botanical flavour profiles.

The gin, made by wine and spirits producer KWV is a botanically unique affair, even in this day and age. Made on a grape base and with Kalahari truffles in the mix, Cruxland Gin was inspired by a trip KWC’s Brandy Master (how’s that for a job title) took to the Kalahari desert. There, he stumbled upon the fungus and decided it would probably work well in a gin. It was clear that the team at Blend Etiquette in South Australia has really nailed the approach with some very clever choices in botanicals, the means of distillation and use of an excellent grape based spirit to carry them. Working closely with Paul we sampled, made minor tweaks in %’s and shared ideas of what we wanted the nose and feel to provide. Therefore I was very excited earlier this year when I was approached by Truffle Mad’s Gin and truffle producer, Paul Dadd to help him create a new gin, I leapt at the challenge. This is a gin designed to showcase the truffles in a thoughtful way that doesn’t overwhelm the drink with intensity. Other serving options include tall with soda and fresh thyme, or even a thin slice of fresh ginger. Or you can try it chilled neat from the freezer.

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Working with Geordan Elliss at Blend Etiquette to create a Truffle Gin recipe was a great experience. Her botanicals choice made a lot of sense together with the truffles and meant it would harmonise with the spirit and offer a natural expression of the environment if came from. The cultivation of truffles takes several years to come to fruition after planting an orchard and the yield can vary each year. For more about the process see this article from the Australian Truffle Growers Association.

Our multiple award-winning botanical blend includes cacao for a malty, toasted edge and macadamia for creamy depth. We add juniper and coriander for high notes and orange and grapefruit peel for a zesty zing. The culminating flavour is clean, crisp and entirely different! With tonic, the juniper takes on an almost chalky, bitter demeanour (helped along by the rooibos), while the coriander and lemon work together to take the flavour in a decidedly acerbic direction. A Cruxland Gin G&T is complex and intriguing, it dries the mouth just as soon as flooding it, yoyo-ing between bitter and sweet and everything in-between. It’s an exciting drink, but one that is a decidedly modern take on the gin genre. And by ‘decidedly modern’ we mean it will very possibly be a polarising choice to serve and one we’d recommend you try before you buy. Pour 500 milliliters of Gin Mare into an empty bottle. Add the truffle-infused butter and cover tightly. Then shake vigorously to infuse. Transfer to the truffle-infused Gin Mare Mare to the freezer and reserve for 24 to 36 hours.So given it’s unique flavours, expense and scarcity, it’s easy to see why gins featuring truffles are a rare thing indeed. I estimate there may be less than a dozen truffle gins around the world. I don’t know about you, but the experience of a good truffle is a singular one, and hard to describe. It’s unique aromas and flavours can defy easy description, but if you can afford them, they are one of life’s special bounties. Nothing rounds off the day like a crisp gin and tonic with plenty of ice! Fast becoming the nation's favourite top-shelf tipple, this well-loved classic is fabulously versatile. With so many different botanical blends out there, it can be hard to know what works. We’ve created a pairing that was just destined to be! Our unique Cocoa Gin is crying out for ice and a thin slice of orange to hit the spot.