Citadelle Old Tom Gin No mistake

About this bottle

Citadelle Old Tom Gin — No Mistake — isn't my first from this brand. Years ago, when I started my gin adventures and collection, my mum gave me a Citadelle Gin for my birthday because her local wine merchant had recommended it as a very good product. At the time, I was delighted with the beautiful bottle, but didn't quite know what to make of the classic gin. These days I understand it better, perhaps partly because I've since spent more time exploring it, including the Old Tom.

Development of the original Citadelle Gin began back in 1996. But it wasn't until 2016 that this gin first reached the market as a limited edition. Citadelle Réserve Gin is the base for this Old Tom.

Old tom gins are making a comeback

Many bottles in the old tom gin category feature cats. A coincidence? Hardly. But let's look at the old tom gin category first. As described on the category page linked above, or in the information on types of gin, these are gins that go almost back to gin's beginnings, and they're making a comeback. Citadelle No Mistake Old Tom Gin is one of them.

No mistake!

The ‘No Mistake’ part of the name supposedly goes back to a nickname for gin that Charles Dickens is said to have written down in 1836. Without giving too much away, this Old Tom is definitely no mistake.

How Citadelle Old Tom Gin is made

Sweetness is a feature of old tom gin in general, and of Citadelle Old Tom Gin too. But they don't use ordinary refined sugar here. Instead, we're lucky that they chose a very moist brown sugar from the Caribbean: demerara sugar.

This sugar is caramelised in copper stills and then aged for three to four months with a small amount of gin. The sugar and wood give the gin a wonderful colour. The ‘aged sugar’ is then mixed with Citadelle Reserve Gin and left to rest for several more months, allowing the two to come together perfectly and mature further.

After a few months, the 0.5-litre bottle offers incredible depth of flavour at 46% ABV. The sugar and ageing make it an incredibly mellow drink, even neat.

Tasting notes for Citadelle Old Tom Gin

On the nose

The aroma is intense. You can pick out wood notes, juniper and a hint of fruit. Close your eyes and take in the aroma, and a distinctly cosy mood settles in.

Taste

Tasted neat, it begins with a little dance of heat — very gentle. Then comes a wave of juniper and incredibly rich, varied sugar notes. It's something you'd more often associate with rum. The wood from the ageing isn't far behind either. A decidedly intense experience.

Finish and lingering flavours

The gin leaves a lasting impression, both in its flavour and beyond. The sugar fades faster than the juniper and the comforting warmth.

Tasted with ice

The water reveals even more aromas. The flavour becomes more intense and mellower still. A very refined pleasure.

What's the perfect serve for Citadelle Old Tom Gin?

Honestly, I'm not making a recommendation here. This isn't a classic G&T gin. You're welcome to experiment, but it's much more a gin for drinking neat, over ice or in cocktails. That's how I'd use it.

Final thoughts on Citadelle Old Tom Gin

There's not much more I can say about this gin. It's beautifully designed, from the packaging to the product in the glass. Time and maturation have made it a special spirit, and I can recommend it in every respect.