Patient Wolf Blackthorn Sloe Gin 700ml

Blackthorn is Patient Wolf's take on sloe gin, made at the Melbourne distiller's Southbank home. Sloe berries are lightly pressed to split the skins, then steeped in the house Melbourne Dry Gin for up to four months before the liqueur is very lightly sweetened. That restraint is the whole idea: it carries roughly a tenth of the sugar found in a traditional sloe gin.

The nose opens bright, with grapefruit and dark berry fruit. The palate is packed with sloe, tart and inky, backed by a light touch of spice before herbaceous green juniper comes through. A subtle floral note sits underneath, and just enough sugar counterbalances the tartness without smothering it.

The finish is long and genuinely dry, which is what sets it apart from the sticky end of the category. Excellent over ice with soda or sparkling wine, and a natural fit for a sloe gin negroni or a winter-weight gin sour.