If you look at the list of botanicals in Bombay Sapphireyou will notice a few differences from other London dry gins. Grains of paradise, almond, and cubeb berries are not your average gin ingredients and they help this bottle stand apart from the crowd. Hayman's Old Tom Gin is one of the best examples of this old-world style, though it was only recently launched in 2007. Produced by Hayman Distillers of Witham, England, it is based on a family recipe from the 1870s. There is a beautiful gin inside this distinct green bottle with its red wax seal. Tanqueray's crisp, dry style is the benchmark for a London dry gin without any citrus in the botanicals. It is a standard to which all other gins are compared and contrasted and also sells for a reasonable price.

If you have yet to taste genever, it is unlike any other gin you've had. This style of gin is as if a soft Scotch whisky were married with gin, and Bols' malty feel is a perfect example. Based on Lucas Bols' original recipe from 1820, it has a wonderful balance of sweet malt and subdued juniper and citrus. It is triple distilled using equal parts malt wine and neutral grain spirits that are infused with natural flavors.Distilled since the 1870s, Tanqueray is now produced at Camron Bridge in Edinburgh, Scotland, one of Europe's largest distilleries. What's most amazing is that this four times distilled gin uses just four botanicals: juniper, coriander seed, angelica root, and licorice. You cannot miss Bombay Sapphire on the liquor shelf. Its blue bottle has an allure that will catch your eye, though the gin itself is not blue—look to Magellan Gin for that.

This is a double-distilled gin produced in a two-stage distillate . Juniper, coriander, angelica, licorice root, cassia bark, Florentine iris, and lime peel are introduced in the first distillation. Bitter orange peel, lemon peel, and lime peel in the second. It is finished with Icelandic glacial water and bottled at a standard 40 percent ABV (80 proof). I think this is one fantastic gin, and it still holds up today IMHO. First, it makes such a good Gin and Tonic, and I’m not sure a gin can endure the way this has and become a staple behind so many bars without doing that well. My money’s still on the Westbourne as the superior spirit in all mixing uses, but that’s not to say that doesn’t hold it own. The Martini is really nice as well, though I don’t think it comes through as strongly in things like the Negroni or a Corpse Reviver #2. I think the only thing wrong with this spirit might be that we have the Westbourne Strength to compare it to. OverallBols Geneverwas on the U.S. marketuntil Prohibitionand was not available again until the summer of 2008. It is bottled at 42 percent ABV (84 proof), and a bottle typically sells for the same price as any premium gin.

Aviation is produced in Portland, Oregon, by House Spirits Distillery. It is distilled from neutral grain spirit with 100 percent rye base, an unusual beginning in the gin market. It's flavored with juniper, anise seed, Elettaria cardamom, coriander, lavender, sweet orange peel, and sarsaparilla. It, too, is slightly overproofed, bottled at 42 percent ABV (84 proof), so it's not as delicate as it's often made out to be. Bitter orange zest, fresh juniper an a slight hint of licorice and gentle spice behind it. It’s quite classic in profile with a lot of juniper fortifying it at first glance. When they speak of the specific method for getting the most out of their citrus, it’s fairly evident here that the work has paid off. The orange notes are the star. You can also explore the effects of aging on gin—something most gin is not subjected to—with Martin Miller's 9 Moons. This bottling rests the gin in previously used bourbon barrels for nine months to give it a fascinating sweetness of vanilla and oak.Much literature about brewing discusses the impact of free ions in water and how they affect the brewing process, though many water scientists have suggested that in some cases the differences between water sources in terms of dissolved solids are below the level of human detection. Just some water for thought. You will find the gin to be very aromatic and filled with rich flavors, making it a true delight for any gin lover. The gin uses a relatively straightforward list of botanicals: juniper, coriander, angelica, orris, cassia, cinnamon, licorice, nutmeg, iris, and Seville orange. Although not officially disclosed, drinkers have long suspected some cucumber essence added post-distillation, owing to the bright cucumber taste present [more on that in a second], but officially nothing is stated as to that regard. The only hint we have is that the bottles have undergone a re-design in the past decade which removed the words “London Dry Gin” from the bottle. [ old vs new]. Since we know the term “London Dry” prohibits the addition of flavors/sweetening above a microscopic signing amount, this may be a suggestion that the hypothesis is not far off. But for now, just know there is indeed an unmistakable cucumber note and no reference to cucumber in the botanical list. Tasting Notes