Flavoured gin has been having a moment for a while now! After all, what's not to like when you take a spirit already popular in and of itself, and infuse it with more crowd-pleasing flavours like strawberries and lemons, or more eye-catching ones like mango and jalapeno! 

Of course, I myself am particularly partial to Asian flavours, so it was an extra treat to discover Clumzy Plumzy's new flavoured gin, this time a Chrysanthemum Lychee Gin that sounded positively delicious. For the uninitiaited, Clumzy Plumzy is a local Singaporean brand that was also behind the hit Sour Plum Vodka that found its way into many parties, pre-drinks and even weddings in Singapore! 

Given the popularity of chrysanthemum and lychee in many Asian desserts, it's actually pretty surprising that this combination has yet been done in the flavoured gin space. But good for us - today we get to try it together! 

Clumzy Plumzy Chrysanthemum Lychee Gin - Tasting Notes

I first tried this on the rocks.

Aroma: Fresh, floral and aromatic. It kickstarts with a dominant note of chrysanthemum, which deepens with accents of goji berries and subtle barely there spritz of mandarin orange pulp. Underlying this is a friendly fruity-sweetness of lychee flesh!

Taste: Light-bodied, and gently coats the tongue without any alcoholic bite. It starts with a floral note of chrysanthemum with some tannic black tea, and deepens into a slightly sweet herbal character with touches of goji berries, stewed longans and fresh lychees - some mild white pepper spice there too. The delicacy of the flavours and the texture reminds me distinctly of those chrysanthemum osmanthus jellies that's served at Chinese restaurants.

Finish: Medium, with a lingering sweetness of herbal gui ling gao jelly (tortoise jelly), longan fruits and chrysanthemum tea.  

Clumzy Plumzy Chrysanthemum Lychee Gin, With Tonic: 

Then paired it with Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic!

To match the floral overtones of this gin, I paired it with a Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic. In a tonic, this gin comes off even more refreshing and crisp - and exceptionally drinkable! The floral notes taking center stage here - the chrysanthemum blending cohesively with the elderflower with a nice fizzling texture - though this comes somewhat at the expense of the litchi fruitiness, which wanes in presence. I'd recommend being more light-handed on the tonic, to avoid overwhelming the more subtler fresh fruit aromas. 

Overall Thoughts

If Clumzy Plumzy Sour Plum Vodka was the fun-loving and lovably rowdy younger sibling taking shots with you at gatherings, then the Clumzy Plumzy Chrysanthemum Vodka would no doubt be the more introverted and mature eldest sibling who calmly sips on a gin soda while conversing with guests. 

The overall profile of this gin is very fresh, floral and fruity, but I did love the unexpected surprise of the flavours being nuanced in with a herbal character that is not unlike popular Chinese desserts like goji belly jellies or tortoise jelly. With flavours like chrysanthemum, the fear is that it might come off too overpowering and potpourri-like, but in this Chrysanthemum Lychee Gin, it was brought out in a very subtle and delicate way, giving the gin more understated charm! That said, I would avoid using overly strong mixers with this, as the lychee fruitiness can be quite gentle, and might be overwhelmed in the process.

My recommended way to drink it would be on the rocks, which allows the floral-fruity-herbal flavours to shine best. But make no mistake though, even when drunk on its own, it stills tastes dangerously drinkable, almost like sipping on a chrysanthemum tea with barely any alcoholic bite.