Bombay Original London Dry Gin (40%)

The Bottle: Despite not being as well-known as it’s blue-hued brother, the standard Bombay Dry Gin bottle follows the standard Bombay recipe of being squat and rectangular. There’s some nice information about the recipe on the back, including the botanicals that are used; but it’s otherwise unremarkable. Which is fine, since it should live in your freezer anyway. In the Glass: It’s gin, it’s clear. It’s a touch more viscous than water but not as much as a few vodka’s that I’ve come across. The Nose: Smooth juniper with a lot of floral notes. This has a really “open” kind of aroma going for it that is a nice weave of all of the botanicals in play. Nothing really stands out and smacks you about it. I picture the botanicals as old men sitting around a table playing cards talking quietly. They’re all there, but no one is trying to grab the spotlight. Taste: My first take on this is that it comes off tasting like the ABV is higher than 43%, there’s a distinct alcohol note to this. It dies down a bit during the development, giving way to a mix of juniper and botanicals (coriander and licorice root takes the lead for my palate). The finish starts off with a certain amount of alcohol astringency, but turns sweet over time. The alcohol note though never really seems to vanish, it’s present across the entire flavor profile. For the money, this is a good option in the London Dry library. It would work just fine in any cocktail that called for it, but I wouldn’t recommend this as a sipper.