Tasting notes
Aroma: Dark honey, with a hint of smoke and buckwheat at first. It opens up to reveal a touch of bitter orange, showing the underlying Plymouth Gin
Flavor: Honey dominates on the palate, Dark honey, reveals hints of tonka bean, vanilla and woodruff. The citrus comes on later showing orange with a touch of orange blossom and quiet green juniper. Mild sweetness early, eases into a burst of gentle warmth.
Finish: Hints of malt color the exceptionally long, dark honey kissed finish. Barely warm, it’s gentle and flavorful.
R.I.Y.L.
You wanted a honeyed gin, but found Barr Hill’s Tom Cat and Barr Hill’s flagship gin to be too sweet.
Cocktails and suggested serves
The literal Bee’s Knees is too literal— the gin has enough sweetness already. You could turn a Tom Collins or Gin and Lemonade into a Bee’s Knees clone.
Plymouth Honey works well in contrast. Try it in a Last Word for example.
The Negroni was one I was excited about, but it ended up being too sweet when paired with Vermouth and Campari.
Overall, Plymouth Honey
Despite being built on one of my favorite gins, and one of the category’s most versatile Plymouth Honey comes up short because it’s more about the honey than the Plymouth. My best advice is to pair it with a bottle of the original and treat it as a mixed base, 1:1 Plymouth Honey and Plymouth.
While it’s good on its own, simply sipped neat or on the rocks— it’s even better with some more Plymouth.
It’s a fun addition to the line, but its staying power for me is a bit limited. It does the honey flavor well but it comes at the expense of the gin, a very good gin at that.