The Crux of the Matter

Recently I decided that I had reached the point in my Gin journey where it was time to expand my Gin cognizance beyond Inverroche Amber Gin (which I need to take a moment right now to just show some appreciation towards, as had I never tried this Gin in the first place, I don’t think I would have been the Gin drinker that I am today), Hendricks Gin, Musgrave Pink Gin, Tanqueray 10, and all the other entry level Gins that are usually consumed at get-togethers.

As part of my Gin experience expansion idea, I had decided that from that moment on, every time I purchased a Gin in the future, it would be a type of Gin that I had never indulged in before. Therefore, a few weeks ago I walked into a liquor store looking for Gin, and came across KWV’s Cruxland Gin.

The first thing that attracted me to this Gin was the actual bottle itself. It was unique and eye catching. Furthermore, although I can’t put it into words, but there is something so South African looking about the bottle for me, which I absolutely love.

Upon further investigation of this Gin, I noted that it was infused with Kalahari truffles, and that it had been named the Best South African London Dry Gin for Taste in the 2018 World Gin Awards.

Needless to say I was intrigued.

Before I go into how my experience of trying the Gin for the first time was, I feel it would be a disservice if I did not provide some context, and history behind the where and how the Gin came about.

Firstly, the name Cruxland Gin came about because the nomadic people of the Kalahari would refer to the desert as the land of the stars, due to the lighting shaped X cracks in the soil where lighting was said to reveal the !N’abbas (another name for the Kalahari desert truffles that burst up from the ground, when heavy rains and autumn moisture had caused them to swell) . Moreover, the Crux Constellation is another name for the Southern Cross. Thus, based on the above, KWV decided that it would be appropriate in its naming to pay homage to the truffle by naming the Gin Cruxland.

This Gin is produced in Paarl Western Cape South Africa. It is a double pot distilled London Dry Gin, which is then re-distilled with 100% grape spirits, and then infused with Kalahari truffles.

Interestingly enough it is also the world’s first craft-style gin to be infused with nine exotic signature botanicals, and the rare Kalahari truffles.

As per various experts, one should be able to taste a fresh aroma of juniper and lemon, which is enhanced by coriander and spice, and the earthy hint of Kalahari truffles. However, my palette is still very underdeveloped (Chuckle), and I cannot honestly say whether one can actually taste all the above flavours when drinking the Cruxland Gin.

Nonetheless, with that being said, I can honestly and confidently say that this is one of my favourite Gins right now. It is such a pleasant and smooth drink. Which is not surprising as it is cold filtered for that extra smooth taste. I confirmed the extent of the above smoothness through taking shots of the Gin, as one would do naturally. LOL

Surprisingly there was no burn as their usually is when one takes Gin shots which I’m sure many people can attest to.

In conclusion, I would 100% recommend that everyone try this Gin just once in their lifetime.