Citadelle was distilling gin in Cognac country before craft gin existed as a category, built by a house that needed somewhere to put its stills for the months French law doesn't allow cognac distillation.
Born from idle stills
Alexandre Gabriel founded Maison Ferrand in 1989 to make cognac at Ars, near the town of Cognac in western France, then spent years persuading French customs to let him distil something else on the same stills during the off season. The result, launched in 1996, was Citadelle: a French gin made a decade before the craft gin movement took hold in Britain and the US.
Progressive infusion
Rather than macerating all its botanicals together in one steep, Citadelle infuses roughly nineteen of them in stages, grouped by how readily they give up their oils, a patented process Gabriel developed to keep delicate ingredients like bergamot from being overwhelmed by sturdier ones like juniper and coriander.
Original and Reserve
The standard Citadelle is bottled clear and juniper-forward with a citrus lift. Citadelle Reserve takes the same spirit and rests it in used oak, mostly former cognac casks, for a softer, spiced gin closer in texture to a young whisky than to a typical London Dry.
FAQ
Why does a cognac house make gin?
French regulations only allow cognac distillation for part of the year. Maison Ferrand built Citadelle to use its stills, and expertise, for the rest of it.
What is Citadelle Reserve?
An oak-aged version of the same gin, matured mainly in casks that previously held cognac, which adds vanilla and spice notes not present in the unaged original.
Does Maison Ferrand make anything else?
Yes. The same house behind Citadelle also produces Ferrand Cognac and the Planteray rum range (long sold as Plantation), among Bottle Hero's other spirits.