Hayman’s Exotic Citrus Gin

Hayman’s Exotic Citrus Gin is the new expression from Hayman’s Gin, the historic family-run London gin distillery.

Lemon is a common botanical in gin, or some other form of citrus, and Hayman’s is known for using more than most, to produce gins that are very citrus-forward. This time, though, they’ve really upped the ante to produce an Exotic Citrus Gin.

Hayman's Gin Distillery — Hayman’s Gin Distillery

What’s In Hayman’s Exotic Citrus Gin?

So, what have Hayman’s added to their gin to produce one they can call not just Citrus but Exotic Citrus? Well, they’ve included Persian lime, mandarin, kumquat and pomelo. This is one of the largest citrus fruits you’ll find and has been likened to the taste of sweet grapefruit.

Hayman's Exotic Citrus Gin and Tonics — Hayman’s Exotic Citrus Gin and Tonics

The distillery doesn’t just throw these fruit into the botanical mix, though. They are all hand-peeled (which I’ve seen done at another distillery and it’s a time-consuming process), and the best peels are then sun-dried to intensify the flavour. It must be like a sun-dried tomato compared to a regular tomato – well, there is no comparison!

Hayman's Gin Distillery still — Hayman’s Gin: A Still Called Karin

Hayman’s Distillery

Although this is clearly a very modern gin, Hayman’s has a proud history going back to the very roots of London Dry Gin. Their story begins in 1863 when James Burrough, a London pharmacist, opened his own small distillery on Cale Street in Chelsea, not far from the Royal Brompton Hospital.

Hayman's Gin some of the botanicals — Some of the Regular Hayman’s Gin Botanicals

In those days, the sweeter Old Tom Gin was the number one style of gin, but James Burrough was more interested in making a much drier style of gin, the style we now know as London Dry. James was the great-grandfather of Christopher Hayman, today’s Master Distiller at Hayman’s Gin, aided by his children, James and Miranda.

Meet the Hayman's gin team — Meet the Hayman’s Gin Team

Tasting Hayman’s Exotic Citrus Gin

The gin is bottled at 41.1% ABV (82.2% proof), and the bottle is a stocky one, short and square. Clearly all that citrus can’t wait to escape the bottle as the aroma hits you as soon as you pop the cork. Smell it neat in a glass and it’s as if you’re walking through a grove of orange and lemon trees after a rainstorm when the colours and aromas are all heightened. There’s juniper too, of course, but it’s not overly prominent, which is the way I like it.

Haymans Gin botanicals juniper — Juniper

Tasting the gin, the zesty citrus flavours really give it a zing. You can still taste the juniper, but spices like nutmeg and cinnamon definitely turn this exotic. It’s a very tangy and lively gin, one that you could sip neat, and that doesn’t apply to too many gins.

Hayman's Exotic Citrus Gin bottle and cocktail — Hayman’s Exotic Citrus Gin

Hayman’s Exotic Citrus Gin and Tonic

This gin is going to transform even a simple gin and tonic into something… well, exotic. Hayman’s recommends filling a tall glass with ice, pouring in 50ml of this Exotic Citrus Gin, filling it up with a premium tonic, and garnishing it with a slice of orange and a basil leaf. We didn’t have a slice of orange but we did have a basil leaf and some Fever Tree Tonic, and it was superb.

Some of the Hayman's Gin Range — Some of the Hayman’s Gin Range

Buying Hayman’s Exotic Citrus Gin

You can buy Hayman’s Exotic Citrus Gin from their Online Store, where you’ll also find some of their other gins, like their Sloe Gin and their Navy Strength Royal Dock Gin. If you live in the UK you can also find it on Amazon.

You can also find the Hayman’s range at Master of Malt, with international shipping, and some of the Hayman’s Gins on Drizly in the USA.