Tarquin’s rhubarb & raspberry gin review
Tarquin’s rhubarb & raspberry gin is infused with tart rhubarb and ripe, sweet berries. Read on to see how it scored in our taste test.
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Tarquin’s rhubarb & raspberry gin – 38% ABV
Overall rating: 4.5/5
In a nutshell: A truly artisan gin that’s hand-labelled, signed and includes batch tasting notes. Expect slight variations to occur, but overall you’ll get a dessert sweetness, including flavours like vanilla-flecked rhubarb compote and cherry bakewell.
Master distiller Tarquin Leadbetter is a classically trained chef from Le Cordon Bleu Paris who moved from London to Cornwall to found Tarquin’s, the area’s first microdistillery in 100 years.
Every bottle is filled, labelled, waxed, stamped and signed by hand, and you’ll find a batch number and tasting notes on the side. As such, expect variations to occur.
The rhubarb & raspberry variety is a limited-edition flavour that uses Tarquin’s Cornish Gin as a base – a classic recipe distilled with fresh violets and citrus peel – before infusing it with tart rhubarb and ripe raspberries.
On the nose you’ll be hit with raspberries, juniper and sweet, vanilla-flecked rhubarb compote notes. There are earthy, spicy flavours and fizzy lemon on the tongue that turn into a decadent cherry bakewell finish. It’s smooth with a very creamy mouthfeel.
The rich, dessert-like appeal means it’s better as a stand-alone sipper. Despite being sweet, this gin tasted very premium, and the slightly lower ABV helped with the smoothness.
The perfect pour
This is best sipped neat, as intended, but if that’s too intense, try adding a few cubes of ice and a lemon peel garnish – save your tonic for something else.
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This review was last updated in July 2019. If you have any questions or suggestions for future reviews, or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk. For information on alcohol guidelines, read our guide to drinking responsibly.