Goa’s Tonia Group, traditionally makers of cashew and coconut feni, has added to its expanding portfolio of whiskey, brandy, rum and wines. Its Forest Spice, a golden straw coloured, hand-crafted Genever-type gin from a Dutch recipe, is a throwback in time.

The resultant gin emanates aromas of rich but coarse malt and distinct juniper, which offers an exhilarating nasal experience. This is followed by nutty and creamy sweet notes of berries on the palate.

Juniper, cardamom, lemongrass, ginger, pepper and other botanicals softly vie for domination over the other, as if in a large musical ensemble that culminates into a whisper of malt, revealing its true Genever character.

In its initial limited Carnival Edition, the bottle holds order tags made from exquisite wildflower seed paper – a gesture to remind consumers of how life can exist in the most fragile form.