I’ve had Thunderflower Gin on my radar ever since I saw discerning gin drinker and ‘fellow blogger Sarah of Gin A Ding Ding singing it’s praises online. So, I’ve been patiently whispering words, waiting for the day to come when some would appear for me and behold, my quiet incantations have come good.
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And, what a lovely little thing it is. Made in a nano distillery in Teignmouth, Devon, it was originally created by Dominic and Annica O’Nions, a husband and wife team. The original inspiration was a gin for their own personal drinking pleasure. Good on them! They have created something really special! For two whole years they kept this treasure to themselves before releasing it for sale in 2018. They upgraded to a 200L still and now distil proudly using the one-shot method. All the botanicals are infused in a vapour basket and only spring water to dilute the spirit down to 42%. Marvellous.
Even the name had a certain ‘mystical’ pull to it. Thunderflowers are small white flowers that grow on cottage roofs down Devon way. It’s said that they can ward of both Thunder and witchcraft. They sound like rather handy things to have around and they’re rather pretty too. They are slightly illusive online but that could be my researching skills. If anyone does have any further information on where these early fables come from please do let me know. I’d love to learn the story behind that.
So what does it taste like? Well, firstly, don’t fall into the trap of thinking it’s floral. There’s so much more to it than that. There is a wonderful kick of spice with botanicals like pink peppercorn and cardamom. And, sage and heather give a fantastic herbal quality that makes it a bold expression of the countryside. There’s a strength residing under such tranquillity. There’s something magical about it too. Something almost ancient. I can imagine it contained in bulbous glass bottles. An elixir, held on the shelves of witches or warlocks. A potion to cure all ills, and to lift the spirits of the ailed.
And, what is the recommended serve with this gin? I’m going to put it out there that for me, this gin is just so complex and it’s balanced, but busy. This has made me a little particular on serves. Sipping this on it’s own is absolutely amazing and with a slight, light tonic, or even sparkling water just to pull the flavour out ever so slightly, it really is beautiful. My preferred garnish with with a slender wedge of lime to compliment it’s balance.
For cocktails, I would prefer to keep it simple, you don’t want that beautiful flavour to get too lost amongst any other elements. Maybe something like a gimlet, but with a hint of honey, as opposed to sugar, to respect the wild and natural concept of the spirit. You could try something with just a hint of lemon and thyme, to accent it’s herbacious qualities. That said, I think there is room to experiment a little in alchemy and create an amazing cocktail. But, you’d need to be very conscious not to overpower it with what you put in. I made a martini with this and Sacred English Dry Vermouth and I found that it works really rather well, with Sacred having a similar natural and wholesome essence to their vermouths. Lime is served as a perfect twist here. Please excuse my lack of martini glasses! I’ve collected a lot of little port and brandy style night cap glasses but need to work on martini and coupe glasses post haste.
So as an overall opinion? I love it! Every aspect of this is a great gin to me. It’s flavour profile is spectacular, being wonderfully balanced yet complex and humble to the local terroir, including the ode to a local plant inspiring it’s identity. The genuine nature of the story of it’s conception and evolution from home hobby to business. It’s a wonderful example of modern gin in all it’s glory, yet strangely evocative of ancient times. It’s spectacularly done. Now then, I’m off to fix myself another martini.
You can buy Thunderflower from their online shop, along with other products such as Thunderflower granola. You can also find their gin and their Fireship Navy Strength at Amazon. You can follow their Twitter here, and their Facebook here.