Citadelle is billed as a super premium gin. It has 19 botanicals, is distilled three times, and is sold in a beautifully decorated bottle with ships at sea, and with a label strip around the bottom of the bottle showing each of the 19 botanicals used in making it. The botanicals listed are savory, nutmeg, angelica, cumin, cinnamon, almond, iris root, juniper, fennel, violet root, paradise grain, orange peel, cardamon, star anise, cubeb, coriander, lemon peel, cassia, and licorice.
A few months ago on my initial taste test I thought it was almost too smooth and light with no evidence of any of the 19 botanicals, just a strong and unusual taste. My impression of the flavors started to develop and became more solid as I drank it in several ways: straight, chilled, on the rocks, and shaken. I was so amazed by what I experienced that I had to call my friend and fellow blogger, Joe DiStefano, late one evening in my mildly buzzed state to talk about it.











