La Fleuriste: A Small Batch Floral Beauty From France
Our third tasting in our Aldi, Everyday Amazing, Gin reviews and we think we've discovered something a little bit special. First, it's distilled using a grape based spirit. It's certainly not unique in this, G'Vine got there first, and a handful of others have followed since. However, where G'Vine comes in two styles; the sweet and floral 'Floraison' and the more punchy and savoury 'Nouaison', La Fleuriste seems to combine both worlds...And it combines them rather well.
On the Nose
Juniper starts off being rather subdued, blending perfectly with light floral, rich earthy, tantalisingly spicy, and zingy citrus scents, before the juniper begins to gain strength...Yet it never becomes overpowering. This is a complex, rather sophisticated, blend of truly delightful aromas and a real pleasure on the nose.
Tasting Notes
Tasted neat, La Fleuriste manages to create the perfect balance of peppery spice with light, floral, notes along with stronger, more earthy, notes and a kick of citrus, yet it manages to retain a delightfully light mouthfeel until the juniper begins to emerge more strongly from the back of the palate, brining with it increased warmth, for a strong, pleasing, finish. The name, La Fleuriste, may give a hint of the floral notes encountered, but there is so much more to be discovered within this wonderful Gin.
Perfect Serve
We played around quite a bit with this one, in an attempt to find the perfect serve...Or at least something close. We first tried it with both Indian and Mediterranean Tonic Waters from Fever-Tree and were, initially, torn on the outcome but eventually considered the Mediterranean to be a better match for the floral and, more herbal, earthy notes. As for garnish...Keep it simple. A sprig of rosemary is all that's required to enhance this one. We tried retaining the rosemary and adding a slice of apple which added a slight sweetness but, otherwise, did nothing to enhance this, already, exceptional Gin. We also tried it with Lamb & Watt's Hibiscus Tonic Water, again with a rosemary sprig for garnish. We really like this Tonic Water, and felt that the Tonic's floral notes, combined with it's balance of sweetness and subsequent tartness would suit the Gin perfectly, but we were a little underwhelmed. It was pleasant enough, but we'd stick with the Mediterranean Tonic and rosemary garnish. Sometimes, less is more, and that's certainly the case here.
Conclusion
Again, this is a Gin that can be enjoyed on its own, or simply over ice, but it really opens up in a G&T with a simple rosemary garnish. At only £19.99, this Gin is Highly Recommended.
Where to Buy
To buy La Fleuriste Gin from Aldi.co.uk click here.
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