Tarquin's Cornish Dry Gin Navy Strength
Tarquin's · Southwestern Distillery
Tarquin Leadbetter built his distillery in a barn on the windswept Cornish coast, and the navy strength bottling carries that same unflinching character. The higher proof doesn't bludgeon — it reveals. Every botanical gets louder, and the structure holds beautifully in cocktails where lesser gins would disappear.
Nose
Intense juniper — piney and resinous — leads the charge, with bright violet and citrus peel following close behind. A warm undercurrent of coriander and cassia bark anchors the bouquet.
Palate
Full and muscular, the navy strength proof amplifying every botanical without distortion. Juniper stays front and center, joined by orange zest, grapefruit pith, and a floral violet note. The mid-palate carries angelica root's earthy dryness and a subtle ginger warmth.
Finish
Long and assertive, with juniper resin, cracked pepper, and a lingering citrus brightness that cuts clean.
- Style
- Navy Strength Dry Gin
- Botanicals
- Juniper, coriander seed, angelica root, orris root, cassia bark, fresh orange and grapefruit peel, violets, green cardamom, Devon violets, liquorice
- Base Spirit
- Wheat based neutral grain spirit
- Distillation
- Single-shot pot distillation in a flame-fired copper pot still
Cocktail Suggestion
Cornish Navy Gimlet — 2 oz Tarquin's Navy Strength Gin · 0.75 oz fresh lime juice · 0.75 oz simple syrup · Shake with ice, strain into a chilled coupe, garnish with a lime wheel.
Food Pairing
Fresh-picked crab meat on sourdough toast with a squeeze of lemon and cracked black pepper echoes the gin's citrus brightness and peppery finish, while the crab's sweetness softens the navy proof.
Tarquin Leadbetter launched Southwestern Distillery in 2012 from a converted barn above the Camel Estuary in Cornwall, hand-distilling each small batch in a flame-fired copper pot still he named Tamara after the Celtic goddess of the River Tamar.
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