First Impressions
Black Lodge Potions is a craft gin producer with a distinctly gothic aesthetic — dark bottles, mysterious branding, and flavour combinations that lean into the bold and the imaginative. The Dark Cherry, Chilli Chocolate expression is their most dramatic: a gin that combines dark cherry, chocolate, and chilli with a traditional botanical base, creating a spirit that belongs as much in a cocktail bar as it does in a chocolatier's workshop.
The Distillery
Black Lodge Potions produces small-batch gins with a focus on bold flavour combinations. The Dark Cherry, Chilli Chocolate expression layers its three titular ingredients over a gin foundation that includes juniper, coriander, and angelica. The chilli is calibrated to add warmth rather than heat — an important distinction that prevents the gin from becoming a novelty act.
Tasting
The nose carries soft chocolate — genuine cocoa rather than artificial sweetness — with faintly medicinal alcohol notes (not unpleasant) and plummy fruits finishing it off. The cherry is more evident as aroma than the chocolate at this stage.
On the palate, warm cocoa spices mix with a cherry taste that is more distinct than on the nose. The chilli underpins the flavour, tempering the chocolate and cherry without ever being dominant — it is a warming presence rather than a fiery one. The gin botanicals provide enough structure to keep the spirit grounded.
The finish is warming with chocolate and cherry persistence — rich and lingering.
How to Drink It
Mix with Indian tonic (the chocolate aroma dominates beautifully) or try with cola — an intriguing combination that accentuates the cherry character. Makes an excellent Espresso Martini variant.
The Bottom Line
Black Lodge Potions Dark Cherry, Chilli Chocolate Gin earns a 7 for executing a bold concept with genuine skill. The chilli's restraint is the key — it adds warmth without aggression, allowing the cherry and chocolate to shine. The gothic branding matches the flavour profile's drama. At around £40, the craft production and unusual botanical combination justify the premium. For those who want their gin dark, warm, and a little bit dangerous.
