Flavor Profile
Porter’s Tropical Old Tom Gin is distilled using a low-temperature distillation on a rotary evaporator. This distillation technique is often referred to as “cold distillation” or “vacuum distillation.” The increased pressure reduces the temperatures needed to distill— and is ideal for gins which work with delicate ingredients, like white tea for example, where heat would degrade their flavor. Each botanical is distilled individually and then blended.
The line of Porter’s Gins are produced in Aberdeen, Scotland at a microbrewery, turned distillery.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Surprisingly direct. Bright ripe pineapple, with some piney green juniper.
Flavor: Smooth, slightly rich mouthfeel with some hints of orange blossom honey. Quiet at first, it builds to a moderate intensity mid-palate, largely focused on fruit. Dried papaya and orange blossoms.
Finish: Moderate intensity and moderately long, orange and neroli gently ease into honeyed delicate stewed white tea leaves. Very gently sweetened.
Cocktails
Similar to some other recent Old Toms, Porter’s Tropical Old Tom Gin isn’t exceptionally sweet. It’s barely an Old Tom by virtue of its sweetness; however, when mixing or creating cocktails around it, don’t expect the sweetness to come through. Bartenders are recommended to treat it like a regular dry gin.
That being said, mixed the tropical fruit notes come through nicely. It’s a great pairing for nearly all mixers: Gin and Soda, Gin and Tonic or Gin and Lemonade. The fruit is a nice addition and certainly star a bit above the juniper.
The pleasant mouthfeel and delightful Neroli buoyed floral palate work well for a very contemporary Martini.
Overall, Porter’s Tropical Old Tom Gin
Porter’s Tropical Old Tom Gin is a nicely made gin that retains some beautiful, delicate flavors from delicate ingredients. It’s a fun contemporary style gin that is better considered a contemporary dry gin than an Old Tom.
In the right applications, it’s a fun gin that makes for delicious, summery mixed drinks.
I substituted this gin for a London dry gin in some tiki cocktails and found it worked nicely in those applications.
Does it rise to the high bar of a sipping gin?
I’m not sure I would elevate it to that level in my personal subjective opinion, but I recommend grabbing a sip at a bar to find out before buying.