Borrago Paloma Blend

The three words describing the flavour on the front of the bottle are ‘citrus, spice, pepper’.  The listed flavourings in the ingredients (in lettering so small I had to get my magnifying glass out) are cardamom, lemon verbena, basil, rosemary, peppermint, lemongrass). Sometimes combinations of different flavours can marry together to create something entirely other.  Certainly, here I would have sworn the main flavourings were lavender and thyme.  Certainly the dominant flavour was herbal, rather than spice or citrus. The scent is almost reminiscent of eau de cologne, but for me it works.  It’s not too sweet, and it’s got a certain confidence that holds up well against the tonic. Some bitter notes come through in the middle to offset the flowery top notes and add interest. Perhaps there’s a slight edge of soapiness on the finish – I would have liked something just a little cleaner at the end.  On the whole, however, this does the job of offering strong partner to a tonic with thoughtful and innovative flavours.