Gin O’Clock – Part Ninety Four
In the ginaissance, things move quickly, it would seem. It was only in mid-2018 that I was reviewing a delightful bottle of Warner Edwards’ Honeybee Gin. By the time I had got my hands on a bottle of Warner’s London Dry Gin, courtesy of our local Waitrose store, Sion Edwards, one of the founding duo of this distillery that operates out of a converted barn in Harrington in Northamptonshire, had moved on, in 2016, and the labelling, from around 2019, has now caught up to reflect the fact. With so many brands jostling for space, name changes can cause confusion and, initially, I was left wondering whether they were one and the same.
Having cleared that up, I was keen to see what their take on my favourite type of gin, a classic no nonsense London Dry Gin, was going to be like. It seemed a strange route for Warner’s to take, having already produced a perfectly acceptable Dry Gin, Harrington, and a barn-storming Rhubarb Gin, quite innovative in 2014 and perhaps leading the way for surfeit of flavoured and coloured gins that are on the market now. If you are going to be a serious gin distiller, though, you need to have a classic London Dry in your armoury.
My bottle was rather dumpy in shape, with frosted glass and a wax seal with an artificial stopper. The bottle is a work of art with illustrations of Harrington, Curiosity, their still, the wildflower meadow, Falls Farm, the botanical gardens, and the beehives. Think of a Wainwright illustrated map and you will get the general idea. The front of the bottle has a triangular label with a dragon and lion holding a glass and the legend “Farm Born British Gins”. Underneath that is a blue rectangular label which tells me that it is a “London Dry Gin, fragrant, rich and spiced, distilled with our farm’s spring water”. The seal on the neck informs me that it was “handmade in small batches on Falls Farm and distilled by Conor and born in 2018”. Developed in 2018 it may have been, but it was only marketed in 2019 and so is a relative new addition to their impressive range.
At the rear of the bottle, there is more information, in white print, telling me that they “are gin farmers. Our gins are crafted with nature on Falls Farm. This classic London dry gin, distilled with our farm’s spring water, is elegantly balanced with juniper and spice”. It then goes on to give serving suggestions. My bottle also came with a little square booklet tied to the neck, giving brief details of their range of gins. They certainly cram a lot on to the bottle and it is good to see a producer imbuing the slickness of their marketing message with a passion for their product. My only cavil, a bugbear of mine, is that the botanicals are not listed.
I have always held that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, no matter how attractive it seems. What really matters is what it tastes like. With the stopper off, the aroma is piney with some citrus elements and a spicy undertone. In the mouth, the crystal-clear spirit is sensational, juniper and cardamom immediately coming to the fore, then lemon and, possibly, orange, followed by a fresh, almost menthol-like sensation, before a peppery after-finish leaves a warming glow in your throat. It was a complex and well-balanced drink, with all the elements discernible, all playing their part but not overwhelming the mix. And with an ABV of 40% it is a fine addition to any drinks’ cabinet.
