Distiller Notes
Unlike most of the commercially made, column-distilled gins in the market, Russell Henry uses a wheat-based neutral grain spirit redistilled on the Germain-Robin 16HL cognac still and a small Holstein potstill prior to botanical infusion. The resulting spirit is a smooth distillate, with clarity of botanical aroma and flavor. An extraordinarily appealing gin distilled on an old cognac still; botanicals include juniper, coriander, orris root, andl emon peel.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The producer's tag line is “lighter than air,” and while we wouldn't go quite that far, it's indeed quite light. The aroma is sweet and subtly fruity, evoking orange peel and lychee, while the palate is silky and delicate, with rosewater and lychee shored up by cinnamon and ginger sizzle on the finish. Cocktail friendly.
Produced only in accordance with strict purity standards formulated by an 18th century European Parliament that guaranteed the absence of toxic distillation byproducts, the phrase “London Dry” on a bottle doesn't refer to any specific place of origin, age or ingredients. To be called a London Dry Gin, the base spirit must be distilled in a column still to at minimum, 70% abv. Natural botanicals can be added to the resulting neutral spirit only through re-distillation. Anything added after distillation other than water and a tiny amount of sugar disqualifies a Gin from the title, London Dry.