The House of Botanicals Old Tom Gin begins with a classic botanical bill and then adds saffron, chamomile and sugar post distillation. Of special note, is their use of Muscovado Sugar, a partially refined sugar with a high molasses content, most often used by rum distillers.
Tasting notes
Color: Peach in hue and perfectly trasnsparent
Aroma: Honeyed, slightly earthy and woody. Notes of Biscotti, biscuit, pecan with a dewy glow of chamomile tea
Flavor: (!) The palate is bold and fast with a powerful botanical presence. Toffee and shortbread cookies with a hint of pecan. Then suddenly, some of the spice notes burst forward. Coriander, cassia and some bitter orange, all set among this background note of shortbread.
Mid-palate, the sweetness becomes most pronounced. Some flavor of toasted maple syrup and a hint of spice rum. It’s not cloying but the sweetness is bold. House of Botanicals Old Tom Gin is truly a sweetened Old Tom (more than botanically sweetened)
There’s a lot about this flavor that reminds me of a (since discontinued) Girl Scouts Cookie I had as a child. I imagine that’s probably a pretty obscure reference, but within those pecan and shortbread notes, the reference is there.
Finish: Somewhat short. Light in warmth with hints of toffee chip and biscuit
Cocktails and suggested serves
House of Botanicals Old Tom Gin could come off the shelf as if a dry gin and add that honeyed/sweet note to a Tom Collins creating a Bees Knees type drink.
As an Old Tom, I find it a bit harder to mix with. While you could use it as a Martinez gin for example, the choice of sugar sometimes gives it a bolder, almost light spice rum like note. This might be to your taste, but it transforms the drink it something else.
I almost suggest this gin in an Old Fashioned (but does it even need sugar?) type presentation.
Behind the bar, House of Botanicals Old Tom Gin has a nice flavor but seems adrift in cocktail applications.
Overall, House of Botanicals Old Tom Gin
…and that is where my review leads me. This is a good tasting gin with some really nice flavor. But it doesn’t fit any clear niche in terms of how to mix with. It’s too boldly out there to work as an Old Tom. It’s not a dry gin by any stretch. So what is it?!
My best advice is to appreciate this gin for what it is. Sip it on its own. The botanicals, sweetness, and complexity are so nicely balanced— House of Botanicals Old Tom Gin might be best treated like an RTD— ready to pour over ice and appreciate on its own.
On its own, for gin drinkers who want to sip something neat or on the rocks? It’s highly recommended.
For anyone looking for an Old Tom Gin in their bar program, I suggest to look elsewhere.