Tarquin’s Tonquin Gin

Tarquin’s Tonquin Gin is the latest limited edition experimental gin distilled by the extraordinary Tarquin Leadbetter.

Tarquin founded his micro-distillery in the village of St. Ervan by the north Cornish coast in 2013 and embraces traditional distillation methods, even flame firing his two copper pot stills, Tamara and Senara, and using botanicals hand foraged from the Devon countryside and flowers picked from his own back garden.

For his latest gin, Tarquin has taken the eleven botanicals in his award winning Cornish Dry Gin (including lemon, orange and grapefruit peel, Devon violets, green cardamom and cinnamon) and added fresh clementine peel and Tonka beans.

The Tonka bean is indigenous to the Cumaru trees of the north-eastern regions of South America. The small shape of these innocuous beans disguises their rich aromatic qualities for which they have been long prized by the perfume industry with their intense flavours of spices vanilla, dark honey and sandalwood. These potent little beans are  also highly sought after by chefs and you will find Tonka bean shavings gracing desert menus at some of the finest restaurants the world over.

The addition of the distinctive Tonka bean is a masterstroke and perfectly complements the green cardamom and cinnamon botanicals to create a delicious autumnal and winter gin with rich warming spice notes. The clementine adds an additional layer of citrus fruit to Tarquin’s usual blend of lemon, orange and grapefruit flavours. And what would be the perfect name for a gin distilled with Tonka beans by Tarquin – of course the Tonquin! The perfect gin for Christmas and a must try for any craft gin enthusiast!

Click here to find out more about Tarquin’s Tonquin Gin.