Bombay Sapphire Gin (47%)

It’s the first day of spring! Of course, I had to have something warm weathery, even though it didn’t crack 40*F/4*C today. Since I didn’t have any tonic, soda, or citrus on hand, I opted to reach for a classic London Dry Gin - and this fits the bill. On its own, Bombay Sapphire has a stereotypical gin nose - juniper, citrus peel, a difficult to define spiciness. The palate, though, has more finesse than the nose might suggest - there’s plenty of bright, evergreen juniper and lemon peel, but swirled with warm notes of pepper, coriander, and cumin seed, and just a hint of cool mint. It’s surprisingly smooth for 47% ABV; virtually no burn. This would be perfectly lovely on the rocks, but works well in any number of classic gin-based cocktails...such as the negroni I’m currently enjoying.