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Style: Old Tom

Old Tom is one of the most confusing terms in the world of gin. There is little consensus as to what constitutes an Old Tom Gin. Here’s a little about what you should expect:

Old Tom Gins often used a variety of techniques to cover the flavor of their base spirit. The style dates back to a time proceeding the invention of the column still. Neutral Spirits were often not quiet neutral and had significant residual character, sometimes even unpleasant residual character. Old Tom Gin makers would try to cover that flavor. Often times an Old Tom Gin will have a malty, Holland-style base. Modern day Old Tom Gin feature high quality base spirits that have been distilled to modern day tastes.

They’re a bit sweet. Often times Old Tom Gins have sweetening added after distillation such as sugar; however, other distillers of Old Tom Gin use perceptually sweet botanicals such as licorice to impart a sweetness of sorts.

They’re sometimes aged. Gins used to be stored in barrels and these barrels were used over and over again. The character the barrel would add to the gin would depend on how new the barrels was and ultimately how fast that gin sold. Others rest their Old Tom Gin in a barrel because the Vanillin from oak adds a perceptual sweetness that can replace/augment other sweeteners or cover off notes in a base spirit.

Minions Old Tom Gin

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Hayman’s Old Tom Gin

Hayman's Old Tom Gin Bottle

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Tom Cat Gin (Batch 2)

Tom Cat Gin Bottle

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Sheep Milk & Honey Gin

Sheep Milk & Honey Gin

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Tanqueray Old Tom

Tanqueray Old Tom

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Waterloo Old Yaupon Gin

Waterloo Old Yaupon Gin

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No Mistake Old Tom Gin

No Mistake Old Tom

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Himbrimi

Himbrimi

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The Pharmacist Old Tom Gin

Cannon Beach Distillery The Pharmacist Old Tom Gin

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Queens Courage

Queens Courage Gin

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Icewine Old Tom

Icewine Old Tom

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Very Old Tom

Very Old Tom

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Counter Old Tom Gin

Counter Old Tom Gin

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Barr Hill Gin

Barr HIll Gin

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Ginbrew Blue Ruin (Old Tom)

Blue Ruin Bathtub Gin

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Apiary Gin

Apiary Gin

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Professor Cornelius Ampleforth’s Bathtub Old Tom Gin

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Hammer & Son Old English Gin

Old English Gin

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Sounds Spirits Old Tom Gin

sound spirits old tom

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Downslope Ould Tom Citrus Flavored Gin

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Spring 44 Old Tom Gin

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New from the GIN is IN

Distillers, Bartenders and Quantitative analysis geeks! The latest report on Consumer Taste Preferences in Gin and Botanical Spirits is available now!
Out now, available on Amazon, Aged Gin Cocktails: 25 Cocktails for Gin's Newest Style , the first cocktail book dedicated to Aged Gin.

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  • Search by flavor
  • Award Winners
    • 2020 Award Winners
    • 2019 Award Winners
    • 2018 Award Winners
    • 2017 Award Winners
    • 2016 Award Winners
    • 2015 Award Winners
    • All Time Double Gold Winners
  • Gin Reviews
    • All 725 Gin Reviews
    • Gins by base spirit
      • Gins distilled from Wheat
      • Gins distilled from Potato
      • Gins distilled from sugarcane
      • Gins distilled from Corn
      • Gins distilled from Grape
      • Gins distilled from Rye
    • Gins by style
      • Juniper-forward Classic gin
      • Contemporary style gins
      • Barrel rested gins
      • Old Tom style gins
      • Navy Strength Gins
      • Flavored and Pink Gins
    • Gins by region/place
      • United States
      • United Kingdom
      • England
      • Canada
      • Japan
      • Australia
    • Gins by Botanicals
  • Other Reviews
    • Tonic Water Reviews
    • RTD Reviews
    • Aquavit Reviews
    • Non-Alcoholic Gin Reviews
  • Articles
  • Contact Us