The Bottle: This one is kind of a classic, ubiquitous on every bar-shelf in the world I would think. Bold red and white colors with the distinctive Beefeater on the front make it easy to pick out from a distance. There’s some information on here about the gin’s history and how it is proudly made in in London. It’ll do. 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: Juniper is at the forefront, with a backdrop of some mild spices. For 47% Abv, it’s very smooth on the nose and comes off as a pretty no-nonsense gin that isn’t going nuts with botanicals. Taste: The higher than average alcohol content on this carries the juniper and the black pepper really nicely. There are no real discernable sweet or floral notes to my palate. There’s a wash of slightly muted botanicals in there, but juniper and black pepper are at the fore-front. The alcohol is perceivable on the finish, but it doesn’t have any kind of burn that would normally be associated with higher-proof spirits. All-around, this is a solid London Dry Gin. It isn’t overly complex which makes it work really well in a lot of the standard gin-based cocktails out there like a martini or a gin and tonic. In fact, the flavor profile complements citrus in a very pleasing way (think lemon or lime martini instead of olive). I wouldn’t recommend this as a sipper, per se, but you would be hard-pressed to find a better cocktail gin for the money.