With the Silent Pool Gin Garden and Afternoon Tea experience saying cheerio to the summer and heading inside to the Library with a new autumnal twist, we of course just had to set about sipping some new concoctions from the Silent Pool Gin team ready to pair up with our new afternoon tea. Talk quickly turned to their utterly divine and new creation, Rare Citrus – which features on the menu.

In making Rare Citrus, their team have travelled the globe (not in 2020!) in search of the world’s rarest and most intriguing citrus fruits to grace their new gin – the first major launch under the Silent Pool Gin brand since that iconic teal and copper bottle first burst onto the craft gin scene back in 2014. So cue a not-so-silent fanfare for Silent Pool Rare Citrus Gin. They may have taken a path less travelled to arrive at this alluring new gin but one sip and you realise that the destination is every bit as rewarding as the journey. This wonderfully complex spirit balances bright and zesty with subtly sweet, beautifully aromatic and delicately spiced for a truly satisfying taste experience.

But what’s so rare about the citrus? Well on their journey to locate the finest citrus fruits, the team at Silent Pool Distillers searched the globe and eventually unearthed two renowned citrus collectors who share their relentless passion for creativity and excellence. Leaving their busy lives and careers in Paris in 2001, Ann and Jean Paul Brigand moved to the gorgeous Alentejo coast in Portugal and set about building their home, Lugar do Olhar Feliz.

The duo has a particular passion for citrus and have made it their mission to help young Portuguese farmers and chefs (and bartenders, of course) to discover and fall in love with citrus as they have done. Now boasting a citrus collection of more than 300 varieties imported from the far flung corners of the planet (Yes you read right, 300!) Ann and Jean Paul have one of the largest and finest citrus collections in the world.

When Silent Pool Distillers visited their citrus grove, it far exceeded all expectations. Head Distiller Tom Hutchings says ‘We were just blown away by what we found. Hundreds of the rarest and most incredible citrus. The aromas and tastes were like nothing we’d experienced before’.

The team sampled dozens of citrus varieties before selecting the most interesting and aromatic flavours to take back to the distillery to begin formulating their distinctive new gin. After much recipe development the team settled on four lead varieties. Inside the zesty tipple you’ll find Buddha’s hand, Green Seville Orange, Natsu Dai Dai (a hybrid of orange and pomelo), and lastly, Hirado Buntan (a type of pomelo).

Not an easy task balancing all those different types of citrus in the final distillation. How have they done it you ask? The distillers have adopted the same bespoke 4-stage production approach used to create Silent Pool Gin to produce remarkable layers of ever-changing flavour.

The result? A masterfully distilled and beautifully aromatic gin with a unique taste. Call this a flavoured gin though and Head Distiller Tom Hutchings will wince. ‘Please don’t mention the F word. As with Silent Pool Gin, this is a naturally distilled gin where all the flavours are captured in the distillation itself with no artificial colourings or flavour compounds added in afterwards. We’re passionate about making proper gins in the right way. This is a naturally distilled gin with oodles of classic juniper to be enjoyed, complemented with wonderfully complex layers of citrus and spice’.

To experience this superb new gin, simply head to Barnett Hill where we’re proudly pouring it, or tuck into our Silent Pool Afternoon Tea experience in the Library

Don’t forget, Silent Pool Distillers are located minutes from Barnett Hill and are well worth a visit. Check them out here – plus you can order online too.