I was first introduced to Gin when I worked as an outdoor pursuits instructor. All of the watersports staff seemed to drink it, but unfortunately, given the low wages, it was as rough as rats and I decided that I wasn't that keen on gin. Since then however, I have had the pleasure of discovering that not all gins are over-perfumed and leave a harsh after-taste - and the best one that I have found, by a mile, is Bombay Sapphire.
Gin is a distilled spirit, and was originally used by the Dutch back in the seventeenth century as a medicine to treat stomach problems, gout and gallstones. They started to flavour it with juniper to improve the taste, and for juniper's own medicinal qualities, and this is what most modern gins are still flavoured with. Gin was the original "Dutch courage", given to British troops fighting on the Continent, and it was they who brought the drink back to England, where it developed from a drink for the poor masses into a more refined, socially acceptable tipple. Several "styles" of gin emerged, and Bombay Sapphire belongs to the accepted "London" style of distilled gins.
Bombay Sapphire gin has a long history, being made to a 1761 recipe. As well as juniper, it is flavoured with another nine botanicals. These are: almonds, lemon, liquorice, orris root, angelica, coriander, cassia bark, cubeb berries and grains of paradise (including pepper, lavender, chocolate and orange) but the balance of the ingredients is a closely guarded secret. The "base" of the gin is triple-distilled grain spirit, which has virtually no flavour, so it is the plant extracts that give the taste. Bombay Sapphire claims to produce a superior taste because of the balance of the ingredients, and because it uses a "vapour infusion" technique to extract the botanicals, ie the spirit is heated and passed through the plant material in vapour form; the company claims that this is a gentler extraction technique than the more common technique of "steeping" ie boiling the spirit with the plant material. Finally, the gin is brought down to the strength of 40% alcohol by volume by the addition of pure water; this water apparently comes from a lake in Wales.
But enough of the science, how does it taste? The short answer is absolutely delicious. The first thing you notice when you pour this gin is that it has a subtle spicy aroma. It is very easy to drink, as it does not taste like strong alcohol (so please remember to drink sensibly). Certainly, there is no trace left of any medicinal taste! I like it mixed with a splash of tonic, but there is no need to add a slice of lemon, as you get an initial fresh citrus hit from the gin itself. The drink is light and refreshing while still feeling quite "full" in the mouth, with a true depth of flavour. It also doesn't leave the nasty perfumed aftertaste that can come with some other brands. I find it mixes well with orange juice too, if you don't mind a sweet drink, or it can be drunk on its own over ice.
This is definitely my preferred brand of gin, but unfortunately all this refinement does come at a price. A 70cl bottle in Tesco costs £13.87, or a litre costs £19.38. This compares with, for example, Gordon's Special Dry London Gin 70cl for £11.18. You can't miss it on the shelf, as it comes in a distinctive, light blue transparent bottle with square sides.
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Gin is one of the few drinks I don't like, but a good review. Lin
mightymuffin 09.06.2007 13:57
Nice review and well written xx
marymoose99 05.06.2007 16:07
Not a fan! Once I was in a pub and this old man (he was about 85) insisted on buying me gin and tonics because I reminded him of his late wife - thing is I hate gin, and hate tonic even more. But I was 16, and it was a free drink (or three), so of course I had to be polite!
Bombay Sapphire is one of the best gin's available, and noted for its very subtle and ... more
smooth flavour. It has a complex mutli-layered palette with a less'ginny' taste than most. The selection of ten herbs and spices are balanced to give Bombay Sapphire its unique and memorable taste experience.Why not buy this as part of the ultimate G& T kit, just click on the links belowLemon and Bombay Sapphire Gin 70cl
Postage & Packaging:refer to website Availability:refer to website
Advantages: Everything, From Taste, To Aroma, & A Cool Looking Bottle Disadvantages: Bars/Pubs overcharge for this gin when it doesn't cost that much more.
Friendly_Bartender 27.03.2008 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Bombay Sapphire Gin
Advantages: contains loads of vitamins, pleasantish taste, not too carbonated Disadvantages: bottle too small to quench thirst, not that good value for money
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