Ransom Old Tom Gin

I often use Ransom Old Tom gin when I'm making cocktails that call for that type of sweet gin. The barrel aged old tom is supposed to be similar to the style from back in the day, but rarely do I drink it neat. Since I was near the end of the bottle, I figured I would review it. On the nose I get the barely, touch of juniper and citrus (orange peel). The palate still has citrus, a touch of sweetness, but that is joined by some spice along the lines of coriander and cloves. The finish is actually pretty whiskey like with grain/barley and a touch of heat. All and all, it's not a bad drink neat and I could see someone who likes whiskey giving this a try and finding it decent. It's definitely not that sweet, in comparison to other old tom gins and leans more towards the grain/barley as opposed to juniper. I wouldn't go out of my way to have this in place of whiskey, but it's not that bad neat. I would probably give it a 3-3.5, but because it's so useful in cocktails, I will bump it up to a 3.75.

This gin smells like gin....juniper forward with a floral almost perfume odor that lingers. It definitely does not mix like a gin, DO NOT mix with tonic. The malted barley flavor takes over so this is best tasted and enjoyed as a bourbon wannabe. Either neat or in an old fashioned. Not a gin I would drink on a summer day, but more a late fall cocktail when gin may be too heavy. Worth a try but would not buy again.

Rich, floral, citrus. The botanicals are strong with this one. All time favorite gin. Neat is the way to go.

Sweeter than regular gin