Animus Distillery Davidsonia Gin 500ml 2022

Animus Distillery Davidsonia Gin 500ml is a fruit gin made by steeping native Davidson's plums in overproof gin.

Eighteen months is a long steep. The snap-frozen plums sat in an overproof version of the Macedon Dry recipe for that whole stretch before being squeezed over eight hours in the distillery's own wine press, a change from earlier releases which were pressed at a neighbouring winery. Having the press on site means the team can take their time and stop when the extraction sits where they want it. The fruit is grown in temperate Queensland and is properly sour and astringent, which is why it works in the role English sloes usually play.

Plum, lemon and rosehip on the nose, then morello cherry, guava and a lip-smacking acidity with soft tannin underneath. Neat over ice, or as a spritz with a large wedge of citrus. Keep it in the fridge once opened and drink it within weeks.