We knew our Cocoa Gin was too good to leave alone, so we went one step further. We took our lively, floral gin, infused it into a chocolate truffle and sealed it in a sleek, crisp 70% cocoa spherical chocolate casing. If you love chocolate and you love gin, then this is a combination made for you.

We’d be very interested to see what the Kalahari truffle distillate tastes like separately, or even mixed into a more traditional base. It is, after-all, the namesake botanical: the Crux Constellation is an alternative name for the Southern Cross, and as ‘X’ marks the spot when truffle hunting, it ties in neatly. Now… Kalahari truffles are – according to all sources – a rich, earthy addition. While their inclusion is a real point of interest, in our opinion their presence isn’t that well felt. Instead it’s those crazy fynbos ingredients that shout out, along with the grape base and aniseed, resulting in a crisp, bushy green gin that very much errs on the side of a “New Western”. This is a gin designed to showcase the truffles in a thoughtful way that doesn’t overwhelm the drink with intensity.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. 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!

The LIVE virtual tastings are carried out in the last week of the month. Please keep an eye on our socials for confirmed dates! 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.Redwood Distillery’s owner Paul Dadd was very thorough with the way he wanted to develop a Truffle Gin. He commissioned two contract distillers to come up with prototypes, using different production styles and botanicals.

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. 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. 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. 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. 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.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. 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.

Overall it’s a subtle expression and you can have fun guessing some of the other botanicals in the mix. 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. Strain the truffle-infused Gin Mare through a fine mesh cloth filter to remove the solids. Repeat as necessary until all visible fats have been removed. Reserve and set aside. Tonka bean-infused bitters ingredientsOnce 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. To make Cruxland Gin, du Toit and the team produce a neutral wine spirit. This spirit is then placed into the 500-litre pot still alongside a makeshift teabag containing the majority of the botanicals. The Kalahari truffle is distilled separately, and doesn’t meet the rest of the botanicals until long after the run, where the two distillates are blended along with additional grape neutral spirit and cut down with water to 43% ABV. Cruxland Gin to taste…