The greatest innovation in gin for a generation?

That is the claim from the newest release to hit the market today; Aureus Vita Fibonacci Dry Gin.

Aureus Vita is the brainchild of Trevethan Gin‘s Master Distiller John Hall, who achieved an IWSC Gold Outstanding medal with an incredible 98 points back in 2022. He was looking for his next project when he began wondering what would happen if he applied the Golden Ratio of 1:1.618 – found in nature, art, architecture and music – to all the stages of gin production.

The result was a unique “Fibonacci-Hall” still and new distillation method which sees each botanical distilled in its own individual basket in three stages – once in liquid and twice in vapour – with each basket in each extraction stage being 1.618 x smaller than the last. At least I think that’s how it works! With the patent still in the works, the exact details remain closely-guarded.

Of Aureus Vita’s 10 botanicals the two key ones are juniper and baobab (an African fruit with a sweet and tangy citrus flavour), which are harvested at their most vibrant and used within 3 months, meaning the gin is made only once a year in November. 

But what does Aureus Vita taste like, I hear you ask! At 61.8% this is a hefty gin but it’s also not nearly as hot and boozy as you might expect. On the complex and inviting nose, beautiful, slightly sweet juniper, subtle creamy nuttiness and soft spices develop into something more earthy. The palate also delivers that sweet spice and earthiness but alongside a juniper that is somehow recognisable and yet not quite familiar. This juniper is slightly sweet, fresh and bright and almost mentholic. It is like looking at something you know very well but from a very unfamiliar angle, if that makes any sort of sense! This gin also has an amazing texture and weight, with a rich oily mouthfeel and lots of depth and complexity, especially on its long finish.

I found Indian tonic water (served 3:1) knocked the juniper back, revealing instead more earthy and sweet cinnamon and even some chocolatey notes, which wasn’t quite to my taste. However I loved it in a Gin Phi (34ml gin mixed with 55ml soda, aka 1:1.618!) which delivered juniper at the front of the palate and rich, buttery french toast flavours on the nose and finish. And as you might expect, Aureus Vita also makes a banging martini – I went for the No-Add (or bone dry) Martini made by stirring 75ml of frozen gin over ice for 25 seconds for a little dilution.

I don’t yet know if this is the greatest innovation in gin for a generation, and I’m pretty sceptical about claims that it represents a new category of gin, but I do think it’s very well made, incredibly interesting and utterly delicious.

If you’d like to try Aureus Vita, and don’t have £175 burning a hole in your pocket (yes, really!), you can sample it at the world’s first Fibonacci Cocktail Menu at London’s Scarfes Bar between the 3rd and 31st March 2025.

Purchase Aureus Vita from Selfridges or aureusvita.co.uk at £175 for 70cl (61.8% ABV).

With thanks to The Romans for the complimentary bottle of Aureus Vita