First Impressions
The colour alone stops you: a deep coppery orange, entirely natural, from genuine Crocus sativus saffron filaments — the world's most expensive spice, worth more per gram than gold. Gabriel Boudier has been making liqueurs in Dijon since the house was founded as Fontbonne, with Gabriel Boudier himself acquiring it in 1909. Chairman Jean Battault launched Saffron Gin in 2008 after rediscovering the recipe in the Boudier archives — dating from a time when France and England had established trade outposts in India and exotic spices flowed back to European distillers.
Tasting
Seven botanicals — juniper, coriander, lemon peel, orange peel, angelica, iris, and fennel — are distilled simultaneously in Boudier's copper still using French summer wheat as the base spirit. The resulting botanical alcoholate is then combined with a saffron infusion and left for at least a month. On the nose, juniper and fennel lead with citrus brightness, saffron surprisingly subtle. The palate is smooth and finely spiced: saffron adds honeyed, musky warmth rather than dominating, fennel provides an anise backbone, juniper stays present. The finish is where saffron reveals itself — emerging after the other botanicals fade, woody and persistent.
The Bottom Line
Gabriel Boudier Saffron Gin earns a 7 — a genuinely unique spirit where the saffron infusion creates something no other gin offers. Trophy for Best Liqueur Producer at the 2024 International Spirits Challenge confirms Boudier's credentials. The visual impact is extraordinary in a G&T, turning the drink a pale golden amber. Best with a light Mediterranean tonic and an orange twist, or in a Bee's Knees where the honey and saffron create something magical. At £38, you are paying for the real thing — not saffron flavouring, but the actual spice.
