Flavor Profile
I interviewed distiller Dr. Anne Brock at the Bermondsey Distillery in my book Gin: The Art and Craft of the Artisan Revival, now available in 3 (and soon to be 4!) languages.
Jensen Bermondsey Gin stays true to its origin story in working only from botanicals that were widely available in nineteenth century gins.
Tasting Notes
Delicate, pine-forward juniper on the nose. There’s notes of earthy violet qua orris root, coriander and citrus zest. It’s a lovely, complex, yet classic nose which should appeal to any gin drinker.
The palate is smooth and soft. Jensen Bermondsey Gin— at first blush— calls to mind comparisons to Plymouth Gin. There’s surprising earthy floral notes of violet complementing a gentle spiced coriander and quintessentially pine-forward, yet gentle, juniper note. Towards the end of the taste, there’s a subtle licorice note as well which adds a perceived sweetness and softness.
Jensen Bermondsey Gin remains classic without being bold and assertive with the juniper. It’s certainly the star, but the combination of botanicals leaves a gentle, round mouthfeel. On it’s own Jensen Bermondsey Gin is an incredibly nice gin to sip.
Cocktails
It seems custom designed for Dry Martinis. I prefer my Jensen Bermondsey Gin martini served 5:1 with a lemon twist, but the softness of the botanicals suit nearly any style from the Churchill Martini (it’s just chilled gin folks) to the trendy Very Dirty Martini with copious amount of olive brine.
Jensen Bermondsey Gin also works well in other heavy-on-the-gin cocktail applications like the Alaska Cocktail or the Arsenic and Old Lace. Simply put, this is one of my favorite cocktail gins because of its versatility. Bartenders who use Plymouth as their house pour would also probably come to like Jensen Bermondsey Gin in that same role. Home cocktail fans will find that it does everything from the Negroni to the Aviation, while still doing a whispery Gin and Tonic that is quite refreshing as well.
Overall
Jensen Bermondsey Gin is one of the best gins of the last five year in my opinion. Perfect balance, a lovely mouthfeel, and a modernized classic botanical expression make it an intriguing gin in the sense that it-could-have-been-made-like-this-over-a-century-ago sort of way. It tastes decidedly modern while being grounded solidly in gin’s storied history.
But context aside, let’s just say it’s a damn good gin.
Highly Recommended.
Awards
