Four Pillars Experimental Series 2018 - Australian Christmas Gin

Bottled at 43.8% abv, Four Pillars Australian Christmas Gin 2018 is the third release of the Christmas bottling. Created by master distiller Cameron MacKenzie, the gin is inspired by four things he loves: Australia, Christmas, gin and his late mum, Wilma.

MacKenzie made Christmas puddings following Wilma’s recipe and placed them in the botanical basket of the still, also named after Wilma. He then distilled a base of juniper, cinnamon, star anise, coriander and angelica over the top.

He was also working on a gin aged in 125-year-old ex-Grant’s whisky barrels that stored Rutherglen Muscat for 80 years, which he blended with the gin. To finish, a slight tweak of Rutherglen Classic Muscat is added.

The resulting gin “tastes like Christmas” with notes of classic juniper and cinnamon. It has a “rich, luscious palate with a hint of sweetness from the Muscat and richness from the extended barrel ageing”.

Each bottle design of Four Pillars Christmas Gin represents Australian Christmas and is commissioned to a different artist annually. For this year’s bottle, Stephen Baker added a “colourful depiction that evokes the feeling of Christmas in a hot Australian summer”.

The design represents the afternoon summer heat and the “cool relief of the pool or ocean”.