Alexandre Gabriel’s challenge was to set it in context by starting from a base of a popular gin of the 19th century. In the course of his frequent travels in the Caribbean, he discovered a Demerara-like sugar, moist and heavy. It was the missing ingredient. This sugar is toasted in copper cauldrons for the first stage of caramelization, then lightly thinned and finally alcoholized. It is then aged for three to four months in wooden casks. To create his Old Tom, the expertise of the Master Blender consists of supplementing Citadelle Réserve – selected for its floral aspect – with aged sugar, then putting it all back into casks for several months, in order to obtain a perfect blend of all the elements, an ideal integration at 46% alcohol.
Full and elegant, with a sweet and sour profile of preserved lemon zest, génépi, anise, and almond, lengthening to spicy notes of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cubeb pepper.