Knocklofty Mulberry Garden Gin

Nose presents dusky floral and berry notes. Rose-hip, wine gums, cherry gummy bears, and raspberry rope candy are apparent. Palate is quite sweet, though not syrupy. It's fruity, reminiscent of a berry-flavored cough syrup but without any artificial taste or color. This is a full-bodied adult berry cordial. Finish is brief. The berry flavor remains strong in the aftertaste. One might question if this is more of a liqueur than a gin. However, it's as much a gin as any sloe gin I've encountered. It contains juniper and other botanicals in its formulation, is made by steeping fruit in gin, and has no added sugar. Therefore, I'll categorize it as gin. Knocklofty is a small distillery in Hobart operated by three couples. They produce everything on-site, including the base spirit they distill themselves. A typical batch yields only 70 bottles, with every production step done manually. They also offer a damson gin and a quince gin in their Garden Gin line. All are very pleasing and possess a quality homemade character. The fruit is hand-picked from local gardens in the vicinity. More power to them. "Above Average": 80/100 (3 stars)