First Impressions
West Winds Distillers operates in Western Australia's Margaret River region — wine country turned gin country. The Cutlass is their New World style, combining cinnamon myrtle and native bush tomato (kutjera) with traditional gin botanicals at a commanding 50% ABV. Kutjera is a variety of Australian bush tomato used by Indigenous Australians for thousands of years — it adds a distinctly savoury character without tasting of tomato. The Cutlass and its sister gin The Sabre won Double Gold and Gold respectively at the San Francisco International Spirits Competition within three days of launching.
Tasting
The nose is zesty lime, piney juniper, cracked black pepper and coriander with liquorice and violet blossom — the bush tomato adding a savoury depth that is felt rather than explicitly tasted. On the palate, earthy and rounded with the 50% ABV remarkably well-disguised. Bush tomato provides savoury character, cinnamon myrtle brings warmth, juniper and coriander sit in classic proportions. The finish is long: coriander, pine and cracked pepper with liquorice and violet, dry and resolved, the bush tomato extending everything beautifully.
The Bottom Line
West Winds Cutlass earns an 8 for being one of the finest Australian gins and a superb Martini gin at any ABV. The bush tomato is the key innovation — it adds a savoury dimension that no European botanical provides, and at 50% the gin has the power to carry those flavours into any cocktail. Double Gold at San Francisco within days of launch tells the story. Best in a Martini with dry vermouth, where the savoury finish and the 50% proof create something extraordinary.
