First Impressions
Mallows is a South Wales artisan spirits company that has built its reputation on gins that dare to be different. The Chocolate, Chilli and Sea Salt expression is their most indulgent — combining dark chocolate, red chilli pepper, and Halen Môn Welsh sea salt with a traditional gin botanical base. It sounds like a dessert menu in a glass, and the question is whether it works as a gin or merely as a novelty.
The use of Halen Môn — the Anglesey sea salt that has become one of Wales's most celebrated artisan products — adds genuine Welsh provenance to a gin that might otherwise be dismissed as gimmickry.
The Distillery
Mallows Beverages produces this gin in South Wales using a botanical bill that includes juniper, coriander seeds, orris root, orange peel, dark chocolate, chilli, and Halen Môn Welsh sea salt. The combination is ambitious — chocolate, chilli, and salt are more commonly found in premium confectionery than in gin — but the inclusion of traditional botanicals (juniper, coriander, orris, orange) provides a gin framework upon which the indulgent additions build.
Tasting
The nose is genuinely complex. Deep cocoa and roasted chocolate dominate — rich, dark, and inviting — with hints of red chilli pepper adding an aromatic warmth and a touch of sea salt contributing a savoury edge. The traditional gin botanicals sit beneath the chocolate, and the overall effect is sophisticated rather than confectionery. It smells like a high-end chocolate bar more than a sweet shop.
On the palate, the first sip delivers a harmonious blend of flavours. Rich chocolate provides the primary taste dimension — deep, roasted, and genuinely flavourful. Subtle chilli heat builds gradually, adding warmth without aggression, and savoury sea salt provides a counterpoint that prevents the sweetness from cloying. The mouthfeel is smooth and luxurious, and the gin botanicals — juniper, coriander, orris — provide enough structure to keep the spirit recognisably gin-like.
The finish is long and satisfying, with the chocolate, chilli, and sea salt flavours lingering in that order — sweetness first, then warmth, then a final savoury note. It is a finish of genuine character.
How to Drink It
This gin makes a stunning Espresso Martini variant — the chocolate notes harmonise with coffee, and the chilli adds a warmth that is addictive. In a G&T, use a premium Indian tonic and garnish with a square of dark chocolate and a small chilli — the visual effect is dramatic. It also works as a dessert gin — neat, slightly chilled, after dinner.
The Bottom Line
Mallows Chocolate, Chilli and Sea Salt Gin earns a 7 for turning an ambitious concept into a genuinely enjoyable gin. The dark chocolate is real and rich, the chilli provides warmth rather than heat, and the Halen Môn sea salt adds the savoury dimension that makes the whole combination work. The gin base prevents it from becoming a simple chocolate liqueur, and the Welsh artisan credentials are genuine. At around £30, it is fairly priced for a gin of this originality. Not an everyday gin — but for chocolate lovers and the gin-curious, it is an indulgence worth exploring.
