Kieffer Lime Leaves

Kieffer lime leaves sourced from Thailand

It’s main role in our gin is to provide the high lime notes in Berkeley Square

Kieffer lime [Citrus hystrix, C. papedia] leaves come from the Kieffer lime tree native to Indonesia. The leaves are highly aromatic and suitable for various Asian cuisines, including Thai, Indonesian, Cambodian and Lao cuisines. They are easily recognisable by their emerald-green, doubled sections, which makes them appear as if two leaves are joined together.

There is a top leaflet which has a slight point at the tip. Attached to that is another leaflet at the bottom which is broader on the upper portion. The size of kieffer lime leaves can vary in size, from several inches long to less than an inch. The bigger the leaf, typically the darker its color. It is used in herbal medicines and traditional treatments, as the fruit and especially its leaves, have those special properties to encourage the growth of skin.

The leaf will give a fresh lime (or lemon-like) fragrance when squashed with the fingers. And in our case for distillation, the leaves are added to give the gin the unique taste of lime.