It’s time to give some love to the clear spirits crowd, as I do tend to have a bit of an inclination towards coloured spirits, and just as much artistic effort goes into making spirits like Gin! This week’s review is of a long time favourite gin of mine who’ve been in the game for an incredibly long time, Slingsby!
Bottled at 42%, Slingsby London Dry may be an old fashioned gin (dating back to 1571!) but the packaging still looks stunning to this day! Fun fact, despite easily being one of, if not the, oldest gin distillery in the world, the range for Slingsby isn’t exactly large. 7 different gins and 1 vodka, that’s it. I suppose if you know what works, stick to it!
Although most people drink Gin with a mixer, I still like to test a spirit’s taste neat first before diluting it, regardless of what it may be. I always say: if you can’t enjoy drinking it neat, it’s not worth drinking full stop!
The smell of this gin seems a little complex at first blush, but is actually rather simple, with a very citrusy front and some slight floral influence (perhaps violet or lavender?). The taste is also very citrusy, with some rather noticeable coriander influence. Juniper is also present, but is surprisingly subtle, alongside the slight floral notes from earlier (though I find they taste more of rose than the other flowers).
The burn is solid, not too strong or too weak, affecting mainly the area between the tongue and the lower teeth. On swallowing the finish is a very mellow citrus, once again, and is surprisingly smooth for a gin being drunk neat. There was little burn to the throat, mainly staying up in the tongue area.
As someone who doesn’t drink gin very often, what do I think? Personally, I think it’s delectable; it’s no wonder they’ve been around for centuries! As mentioned it has a very strong citrus influence, but make no mistake, this is a DRY gin. If you want to try drinking this neat, you absolutely can, but I obviously recommend it with a mixer. For my dry drink lovers, I would say have this with either rhubarb and raspberry tonic or, if you want it REALLY dry, elderflower tonic. If you’d like something a bit on the sweeter side, honestly any citrus based drink would work. I like raspberry lemonade personally, though bitter lemon also has its charm!
If you’re looking for a new gin to try and happen to spot any of Slingsby’s bottles on a backbar, PLEASE TRY THEM! They are a fantastic gin, and one of my favourites for sure!
This review’s recommended song is: “Sunday Rain” – Foo Fighters
