What makes this gin great is, obviously, the taste. I liken the aroma of cold gin to a bouquet of flowers you should smell them. Gordon’s smells sweet and piney with hints of burning alcohol…in a good way. The flavour of Gordon’s London Dry Gin essentially breaks down into five parts; evergreen, citrus, floral notes, spice, and smoothness. Evergreen is the pine flavour that comes from the juniper, citrus, florality and spice all come from the bouquet and botanicals. Smoothness determines the quality of the base alcohol. The evergreen flavour rates about a 4 present and pronounced but in a way that is not in your face about it. The heat I’ll rate at a 4, no burn up front, but there is some unpleasantness on the back end after the exhale.

Citrus is about a 2; there is a hint of orange and lemon peel are complements next to the juniper like a bass player, there, but if done well unnoticed. Here is where Gordon’s triumphs, the botanicals they have arranged here truly are the star. The Angelica root’s musk is proof positive that this recipe is old and cheap. Able to outshine the harsh booze (to an extent) while extending a helping hand to other more delicate scents and flavours to earn a 5. What I think is black peppercorn finishes off the array of flavours in a very palatable way so spice is a 1. If you’re drinking Gordon’s London Dry Gin neat, the finish is sweet on the lips, bitter in the mouth, and fire in your throat.
So what exactly makes this gin taste the way it tastes? What sets it apart? It’s the aged juniper berries. The only ingredient that makes gin, gin. These berries are hand-picked each year and then aged for two years to strengthen the oils and mellow out the strong evergreen flavour. I realise this is a lot of info, so let me sum it up for you.

-Gordon’s London Dry Gin is the OG or Original Gin of the modern era.
-The flavour is mild, OK on it’s own, but should really be playing second fiddle to stronger citrus flavours to really bring everything out.

Distiller: Cameronbridge Gin Distillery | ABV: 47.5% | Price: €5.50