Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru Murcian Lemon

I am typically a bourbon guy but tried this gin after some conversations about martinis. I was very impressed. Very good sipping on big ice too. 94 Distiller expert rating sounds right

We enjoy Bombay Sapphire gin in many cocktails. My wife and I are both fans of it in a martini, although we can to lean towards different vermouths. It's also outstanding in a White Lady, a Bee's Knees, or any other cocktail that can benefit from a gin that's slightly softer than a full London Dry. There was zero hesitation when we saw this premium expression of our house gin hit the market. On the nose the lemon is forward and orange takes a back seat. Lemon elements really make the orange a bit obscured. In comparison to the regular Bombay Sapphire, the fruitiness is significantly more present. The standard bombay sapphire expresses more spices. On the palate the Bombay Sapphire standard expression is soft, slightly leaning towards juniper with notes of licorice, cardamom, and soft floral elements. In contrast, the Premier Cru takes all of that and turbocharges it with a citrus party. The lemon is there in spades and the orange makes a solid appearance on the taste buds. There's no mistaking the citrus fruit DNA of this distillate. This is an excellent gin, particularly with Fever Tree elderflower tonic water. That's a great combination!. This is also very good with soda and a blood orange wedge as a garnish. Perhaps not surprisingly this also makes a very worthy Martini and loves a lemon twist garnish. It's fruity, but it does hold up well in partners with Dolin dry vermouth, a couple drops of orange bitters, and a drop of saline. I have to look at value on this particular expression. The Premier Cru carries a rather steep price penalty over the standard expression. I believe this bottle set me back something north of $30 and that's too much. It's very good but must be weighed within the context of its value proposition. Overall, I like it and I would recommend it if you already enjoy sapphire or would just like to take a shot at something new. It probably won't be replaced on my bar as there are other expressions I like a bit better that hit the wallet a bit softer. BSPC is positioned against Tanqueray 10 - they are similar in price and both claim a crafted, citrus bias. I think the BSPC is taking a shot at the special releases from Hendricks. I've had almost all the Hendrick's available domestically, and I've enjoyed 10. I would likely take Orbium, Neptunia, Lunar or Flora Adora over this, and maybe the T10 too but its been too long for me to say that with certainty. I'm a full-throated fan of the Hendrick's special releases, To me they tend to take gin to a new flavor destination as a temporary "experiment" in flavors. That's fun. I'm a bit more reticent to crow about this one. It is very good, but unlike something like Neptunia or Flora Adora it's really a relatively safe and moderate expression and I believe a permanent line extension. It doesn't break new ground, but does give a very high polish to spaces that may have already been explored within the gin world. I'm glad I bought it and I'm glad to know I can get it again but I'm not in a hurry to do so. Recommended if you haven't tried it, if you like Sapphire and if you like citrus forward gin.