The Source Pure Cardrona Gin: Alpine New Zealand Vapour-Distilled Single Malt Spirit with Southern Alps Water

Item: The Source Pure Cardrona Gin: Alpine New Zealand Vapour-Distilled Single Malt Spirit with Southern Alps Water
Rating: 8
Author: Edward Forwood

Edward Forwood January 9, 2026 3 views

8 /10

EDITOR

Distillery: Cardrona Distillery
ABV: 47% ABV
Price: £55

Tasting Notes

Nose

Intense fresh pine — seductive floral sweetness from rosehip, citrus, the Southern Alps water producing remarkable clarity

Palate

Dry and smooth — powerful juniper with menthol freshness, distinctive fragrant citrus zest, rosehip sweet floral notes, hints of vanilla and biscuit from the single malt base, white pepper warmth, creamy alpine water texture

Finish

Clean, herbal, subtly warming — the single malt base providing biscuity depth beneath the juniper, lingering and pure, the Cardrona Valley's four seasons captured

First Impressions

The Source is distilled at Cardrona Distillery in the Southern Alps of New Zealand — a valley forged by four distinct seasons. Botanicals including locally foraged rosehip are vapour-distilled into a single malt spirit (not the usual neutral grain spirit), then cut with pure alpine water. Named one of the world's top 50 gins, Gold at New York 2016.

Tasting

Six botanicals vapour-distilled into single malt spirit. Intense pine nose with rosehip florals. Powerful juniper palate with menthol freshness, citrus, rosehip, vanilla-biscuit from the malt, and white pepper. Clean herbal finish.

The Bottom Line

The Source earns an 8 — the single malt spirit base and alpine water create a gin of extraordinary purity and depth. Top 50 in the world. At £55, alpine New Zealand craft from a world-class distillery.

Edward Forwood

Senior Gin Reviewer

Edward has spent two decades judging spirits at competitions from the IWSC to the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, developing a palate that prizes balance above novelty. A holder of the WSET D...