When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. Or, in the case of Citadelle Gin's creator Alexandre Gabriel of Maison Ferrand, you make a citrus-leaning French Gin. 

Citadelle Gin is a French gin brand that's produced in the Cognac region of France by Maison Ferrand, a Cognac house that is the sixth largest producer of Cognacs. How did a Cognac house come to produce gin, you ask? Well, according to AOC laws that governs the production of Cognac, all cognac can only be distilled between the months of November and March. This meant that for the other six months of each year, cognac producers had no choice but to let their distillation stills sit idle and collect dust. 

In the mid-1990s, the owner of Cognac Ferrand, Alexandre Gabriel saw an opportunity to produce and market his own premium gin, and hence, decided to lobby the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac for the right to utilize his existing stills to distill gins during the off season. After receiving the green light, Gabriel dug into research and discovered that all the way back in 1771, two French distillers called Carpeau and Stival had already been making gin from juniper berries in a citadel located in Dunkirk, France. Inspired by these early pioneers in French gin distillation, Gabriel named his gin brand Citadelle and launch the product in America in 1996. 

And thus, Citadelle Gin was born. 

How Citadelle Gin Is Made 

Given the distillery's long history of Cognac distillation, it's no wonder that Citadelle Gin's own production process reflects an extension of the brand's own history and experience with Cognac distillation.

For starters, Citadelle Gin is distilled in Maison Ferrand's repurposed Charentaise copper pot stills, that were traditionally used for Cognac distillation. Botanicals are added to French wheat neutral spirit and this is distilled over an open flame, which the brand credits for imparting added richness and depth. 

Another key aspect behind Citadelle Gin's production is a process of "progressive infusion". The distillery selects 19 different botanicals, which are individually added to the spirit progressively and individually. This allows the distillery to ensure that the time and temperatures can be specifically adapted to each botanical. It's a delicate and slow-burn method, but one that the distillery swears by for the best extraction of aromatics and flavor balance. The brand likens it to brewing a pot of tea -  if you remove the teabag too quickly, the tea has no taste, and if you leave it too long, it’s too strong. In fact, progressive infusion is actually the first ever patented method of infusing gin. 

A Tale of Two Citadelles: Citadelle Original vs. Citadelle Jardin d’Été

Now, if you're at the supermarket aisle right now and wondering if you should be bringing home the Citadelle Original Gin or the Citadelle Jardin d’Été, you've come to the right place. Today, let's taste testing both these expressions, and see how each stacks up! 

The Citadelle Original Gin contains 19 botanicals including French juniper, violet root, coriander, almond, lemon rind, orange peel, angelica, cardamom, cassia bark, cinnamon, licorice, grains of paradise, cubeb, cumin, savory, star anise, nutmeg, fennel and orris root. 

The Citadelle Jardin d’Été is a more recent addition to the distillery's lineup, and is meant to evoke the lush gardens surrounding the Château de Bonbonnet, Citadelle's home. This expression takes the original formula but also includes the additions of new botanicals: specifically, melon, yuzu and orange peel.

Citadelle Original Gin - Tasting Notes

Aroma: Begins bright and crisp with notes of citrus lemon and juniper. Some perfumery accents of white flowers and violets can also be detected, with cinnamon, angelica root and coriander adding a touch of spice.

Taste: Very fresh and bright with notes of piney juniper greeting the palate before one eases into a broadly citrus-leaning base of lemon zest. A touch of spices add complexity - I get warming prickles of angelica root, nutmeg and cardamom.

Finish: Medium. Piney juniper and citrus hold the stage, before transforming easing in intensity to bring forth gently sweet flavors of lemon drop candy, and orange and cardamom jam.

Citadelle Jardin d’Été Gin - Tasting Notes

Aroma: Greets you off the bat with an amped up bouquet of citruses - we’re talking lemon zest, yuzu candies and orange peels. There’s a hint of black pepper and fennel adding subtle earthy spice.

Taste: The citrus flavors on the aroma carry forward in strength on the palate - notes of lemon essential oils, orange peels and juniper berries greet the tongue. As this gin sits, a fruitiness comes to fore, with flavors of cantaloupes, honeydew and mandarin oranges adding depth and sweetness. There's also some warmth and complexity due to touches of nutmeg, angelica root, and star anise. 

Finish: Very long yet gentle. At the end, this gin evolves to evoke a fruit basket of sorts - lemon, yuzu, melon and orange peels flavours linger, with a barely-there tingle of licorice root. 

My Overall Thoughts

It's hard to argue with the original Citadelle Gin. A great rich, bold body and well-integrated classic flavors of piney juniper and bright, zesty lemons. This is a versatile option for mixing into any classic gin cocktails or to be paired simply with soda or tonic. There's slightly more spice here than you would expect with most other London Drys, which I feel offers a slight bit more complexity and contrast to elevate a cocktail. Overall, a solid pick and one that I wouldn't say no to if offered! 

That said, the Citadelle Jardin d’Été pulled up slightly ahead for me! This is a more contemporary and fruity twist on the classic Citadelle gin. While it's still retains its lemony backbone just like the original, I liked the added complexity of the melon and orange notes. It's flavoursome, without coming off as sharp, and I think would shine really well with just a classic tonic or sipped on its own.

Just keep in mind that the juniper flavor isn't as present as the original Citadelle gin, so it might not provide you that same traditional piney backbone to your cocktails if that's what you're after. Otherwise, I would definitely also use this is as a mixing spirit - maybe in a Sour or a Gin Fizz where one could play into those unique candied lemon and fruity melon flavors this expression offers. 

@lotusroot518