The Tasting Panel magazine

January 2016

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january-february 2016  /  the tasting panel  /  1 15 CELEBRATING TRADITION WITH SIPSMITH LONDON DRY GIN While many brands these days are adding new flavors to their spirits and trying experimental methods of distilling, there's something to be said for adhering to tradition and maintain- ing high-standards of small-batch production, which is an ethos Sipsmith Gin fully embraces. The first copper distillery launched in London in 200 years, Sipsmith's three copper stills— Prudence, Patience and Constance—are used to create its incomparable classic London Dry Gin. The hand-crafted gin is distilled from English wheat spirit, and blended with water from Lydwell Springs, one of the sources of the River Thames. The gin's botanical mix is made from international ingredients such as Macedonian juniper berries, Chinese cassia bark, Spanish almonds, Bulgarian coriander seed, French angelica root, Spanish licorice root, Spanish lemon, Sevillian orange peels and Madagascan cinnamon. Whether sipping it neat, or in a classic Martini, Sipsmith embod- ies the artisanal, well-crafted spirit of tradi- tional Gin. (SRP $35–40) —Jesse Hom-Dawson WILSON DANIELS A TASTE OF HISTORY WITH PLYMOUTH ORIGINAL STRENGTH GIN Plymouth Original Strength Gin still honors its original 1793 recipe. Master Distiller Sean Harrison sources seven botanicals—juniper, angelica root, lemon peel, cardamom pod, orange peel, coriander seed and orris root—and soft Devon water high in minerals and peat deposits from Dartmoor National Park. This careful sourcing yields a balanced and graceful taste redolent with corian- der, licorice and angelica with an earthy, long, crisp flavor. Plymouth Gin's Black Friars Distillery is the only one remaining in the town of Plymouth, in southwest England. Originally a Dominican Order monastery built in 1431, then a debtor's prison, the space has been a home of gin production since the 1690s, making it the oldest British distillery still active in its original location. Plymouth Gin is batch-made using a single copper pot still installed at the distillery in 1855; it has a shorter than typical neck and the lye pipe sports a more exaggerated bend. Plymouth Gin is 41.2 percent ABV; a 57 percent ABV Navy Strength version is also available. As the craft spirits movement continues to evolve and gin sections expand with renewed interest in the gin category, mixologists rely on Plymouth to shine in classic Martinis as well as their own creations, with recent trends including sherry cocktails and exotic floral and herb infusions. "An elegant and versatile gin, this spirit intuitively knows whether to lead or to follow in cocktails," says Juli Falkoff, Brand Director, Gins, Pernod Ricard USA. (SRP $37.99) —Becky Tsadik PERNOD RICARD USA

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