Flavor Profile
In 2009 Sam Glasworthy, Fairfax Hall and Jared Brown teamed up with a still named Prudence, and launched perhaps the most iconic gin of craft renaissance in London. Sipsmith London Dry Gin was distilled on the first copper still in London in nearly two centuries. In some ways, Sipsmith Gin was the beginning of Modern gin in London.
Sipsmith London Dry Gin stays true to those roots. It begins from a base spirit of wheat, and opts for a fairly traditional botanical bill: angelica, coriander, licorice [seem familiar?]. It’s made with a single shot method of distillation— meaning they only dilute with water, not additional neutral spirit. Sipsmith Distillery was one of the first distilleries of the craft gin renaissance to talk about the single shot vs. multi-shot approach and are a big reason why there’s entire classes devoted to to the subject.
Tasting Notes
Sipsmith London Dry Gin is classic on the nose, but distinctive in its own right. Orange zest dripped with warmed orange blossom honey lends complexity to a nose that has a traditional piney juniper with slight hints of angelica root musk and licorice.
The palate of Sipsmith Gin unfolds in three waves. Juniper with an expressed pine character comes on early, with bright lemon curd, mandarin flesh and citrus mid-palate.
The finish is where some of those spice notes come through. Cassia, cinnamon and coriander merge into a vague, gentle pepperiness. There’s a creamy hint of licorice root that rounds out an herbaceous juniper note with the slightest hint of bitter orange.
Sipsmith London Dry Gin is rich and complex. Although on the palate the spirit doesn’t have the viscosity or thickness of other wheat spirits, the botanical fortitude more than makes up for it. The finish is on the rather long side just sipped neat, with neither warmth nor flavor departing prematurely.
Cocktails
I’m a particularly big fan of Sipsmith London Dry Gin in a Martini. The 41.6% is the perfect ABV, even if you prefer a really Dry Martini, going 10:1(!) or even up. Chilled it’s a delight as well with juniper and bright citrus still coming through.
But part of why I think Sipsmith Gin has had such an impressive run of it since it’s 2009 release is because despite it’s minor updates to the classic gin profile, it’s readily recognizable in nearly all cocktails. It was really among the first workhorse craft gins that a bartender could go to for nearly everything.
Highlights include 2009 staples like the Aviation, and 1909 staples like the Tom Collins. But it’s rare to find a gin as at home in a Gin and Juice as it is in a Last Word.
Overall, Sipsmith Gin
Sipsmith Gin is a near-perfect classic style gin. Bartenders and classic-gin fans the world around continue to discover this gin— which is pretty much as good as it gets.
Recommended.
Awards
I think its the best
I think it’s the best.
Love it!
Simply delicious. Love it!
After Years of experimenting, exploring gin after gin, this is the one I have always come back to. Always the best.
The most boring , tasteless Gin I have ever tasted. Going to put it in the bin. Not a patch on Jawbox or Chase Elegant.
My current favorite gin & I’ve had a lot. Great review, imo, perfect expression of gin.
Thanks for your share
one of the best choice of gin
one of the best choice of gin
ne of the best choice of gin
Of all the gins I’ve tasted, this was the only one that I truly disliked.
Amazing in a negroni
I’ve been a gin fan for awhile. Mainly G&Ts and Negronis. Never had a gin martini until I bought this and read your review. It’s like my life up to this point was meaningless..amazing.
The most amazing Gin I have tasted. Had it yesterday for the first time in a Martini. My rating, Platinum!!
Always my first choice.
I want to say – I have been drinking sipmith’s g’t cans for a while now & thought I really enjoyed it, so I took the plunge & forked out for a big bottle of the new strawberry infused gin – thought it would be a cut above.. however, I find it to be difficult to feel anything from at first, which possibly leads me to drinking a bit more, & then it just makes me feel v.drained, nauseous & unwell v.quickly. Maybe I am consuming too much.. 🤷🏼♀️ i just expected more than this from high end, pricey bottle of gin..
My favorite gin. Makes a great martini or even a great negroni
Never had a gin for over 40yrs. Due to having cheap gin at 21st! given a bottle by a friend and was dubious at first. Had a SIP and said thats not gin!
Beautiful many flavored tastes and after tastes through to the peppery end. P.s nothing added. Great tasting spirit. And obviously lots of love care and attention to it.
I have had quite a few gins. We have been exploring this spirit for some time. I have to say that this particular gin is far too polite to matter in a G&T. Frankly it disappears. Which means that you add more simply to taste something. So you get really drunk and disappointed.
I will definitely not buy this again.
Based on the high marks and strong review, I bought a bottle yesterday. After having tasted it neat and in a couple of cocktails, I can say this is one of the more forgettable gins I’ve tasted.
The first thing I noticed on the nose was a powerful whiff of ethanol, and this dominated on the palate as well–it was quite a bit stronger than I was expecting for 41.6% ABV. The juniper was there, but not in a powerful way; and there was some spicy heat in the finish. But I didn’t get the “botanical fortitude” that the author spoke of; on the contrary, I found the botanicals to be somewhat muted overall. (To make sure my tastebuds weren’t off, I tried a side-by-side tasting comparing it to Tanqueray No. TEN, my favorite London Dry. The difference was night and day, in favor of the Tanqueray.)
I found that it works well in cocktails with a lot of added flavors, like a Negroni or a Gimlet; it’s lacking in a bone-dry martini, although a very dirty martini adds enough flavor to work. It doesn’t have the intensity of flavor (especially juniper) to properly stand up to the quinine in a gin & tonic. And as far as drinking it neat or on the rocks? Forget it: It just isn’t that interesting.
I’m not saying that it was bad–it certainly didn’t have any unpleasant flavors to detract from the experience. But for $40 a bottle (at my local liquor store), I can find a much more flavorful and enjoyable gin.