At the request of a few English followers, I have translated the Sipsmith review. enjoy it!
SIPSMITH GIN
Launched in 2009, the Sipsmith Gin is the brainchild of three Briton gin-lovers who decided to produce a gin without any compromise on quality.
Sam Galsworthy and Fairfax Hall grew up together in Cornwall and are longtime friends. When they decided to found a micro-distillery in London, the very first in a period of 200 years, both did work in the world of spirits, but none had any experience in distilling alcoholic liquids.
Hence they turned their attention to an experienced craftsman, Jared Brown. Brown however didn’t want to get involved without the guarantee that he could make an authentic, high-quality gin without compromises. It sounded like music to the ears of our two Cornish friends !
Acquiring a licence proved to be very difficult and took more than two years. Since the famous Gin Act of 1751, no law allows for distilling only a small volume of alcohol !
You can easily state that “The Sipsmiths” were true pioneers, opening the way for the more or less 80 micro-distilleries active in the UK at the moment.
Sipsmith’s first distillery was housed in the former residence of Michael Jackson, no not the singer, but the famous beer and whisky expert. Originally the gin was produced in their 300 litre still “Prudence”. To fulfil the ever rising demand for Sipsmith Gin, the three pioneers had to think bigger. Sipsmith left its original location and moved to Chiswick.
A new still was acquired, an exact copy of “Prudence”, which they baptised “Patience”. Demand kept rising and soon after “Patience”, the collection of stills saw a third member : big sister “Constance”, a still of 1500 litre this time.
The Sipsmith Gin is produced with the so-called “one shot” regime. The exact quantities of botanicals are distilled in this regime, in contrast with the more traditional regime of doubling the quantities, what results in a time advantage. To live up to its legendary quality, only the very best botanicals, imported from all over the world, make their way to the distillery and this specific “one shot” distillation regime.
On the market, one can find lots of “London Dry” gins, but Sipsmith is one of the few that are actually distilled in London.
London Dry designates in the first place a quality norm, in the second place a production method : after distilling the spirit, only water can be added to the spirit (to arrive at the correct alcohol percentage).
The name Sipsmith refers to the ancient, traditional blacksmith craft and its logo makes, according to Kurt Heddebauw of G&Teasing, expert at the matter, allusion on the rich history of gin-making.
The Sipsmith logo depicts an alchemist working with an alembic featuring a swan’s neck, referring to the form of the traditional copper boilers used in the distilling process. The white swan refers to the second phase of the alchemists process, the so called “albedo” or “ablutio”, whiteness or purification, the exaltation of the soul, in the Great Work, seeing the light, rinsing away impurities with aqua vitae.
Four gins carry the name Sipsmith : the Sipsmith Dry Gin, the Sipsmith V.J.O.P., de Sipsmith Sloe Gin (a gin based on sloe berries, an English tradition) and the Sipsmith Summer Cup (an English alternative for our summer sangria).
On top of that come the very exclusive Sipsmith Raffles 1915 (an exclusive gin for the Raffles Hotels & Resorts), the Sipsmith House of Commons gin (an exclusive gin for the visitor centre of the Houses of Parliament, basically the same gin as the Dry Gin, but bottled at 40,7%) and the Sipsmith Olympics (distilled for the Olympic Summer Games of 2012 in the UK).
One of these is owned by GinUrWay and this bottle is a collector’s item given the fact that its content is the standard Dry gin.
Today we take a closer look at standard Dry and the V.J.O.P. version :
Sipsmith Dry Gin.
Its botanicals :
1.
Juniper berries from Macedonia
2.
Coriander seeds from Bulgaria
3.
Angelica root from France
4.
Liquorice root from Spain
5.
Orris root from Italy
6.
Almonds, grinded, from Spain
7.
Cassia pipe from China
8.
Cinnamon from Madagascar
9.
Oranges from Sevilla
10.
Lemon peel from Spain
Sipsmith V.J.O.P.
Launched in 2013, V.J.O.P. stands for “Very Juniper Over Proof”, thus a Navy Strength Gin, produced with an excess of about 75% juniper berries.
The distillation regime also differs from the standard version. Its distillation takes place in 3 phases :
1. A larger quantity of juniper berries macerates in basic alcohol.
2. After 3 days of maceration, the basic botanicals with an extra dose of juniper berries are added to the boiler.
3. Extra juniper berries are added at the top of the boiler, in a giant “tea bag”, through wich pass the alcohol vapours : the so-called “vapour infused distilling”.
Tasting note :
Sipsmith London Dry :
Nose :
My immediate impression : pinewood, followed by coriander, orange and juniper berry.
One notices immediately that this is an Old Style gin with a small, modern twist to it.
Taste :
Lots of juniper berries at first, followed by coriander, beautifully supported by lemon, candied orange and an oriental sweet spiciness.
I don’t mean that this a sweet gin, but it contains a spiciness that reminds me a bit of a spice shop in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey.
Finish :
The aftertaste is, as it should be in a real London Dry Gin, rather dry with juniper and tints of citrus.
Gin Tonic:
I will be combining this gin with Fever Tree tonic.
The soft, fruity character and the soft bitters of this tonic will blend perfectly with this gin.
Garnish :
Lemon zest and orange, combined with a few dried juniper berries.
Sipsmith V.J.O.P. :
Nose :
This gin rolls his muscles ! This is of course due to the 57,7% alcohol strength, causing the nose to be rather closed. Superfluous juniper, immediately coriander, noticing that other scents and perfumes are there but taken prisoner by the high alcohol content. Adding a few drops of water releases these hidden scents !
Having mentioned pinewood in my tasting note on the Standard Dry gin, I have to repeat here but pinewood after a warm summer storm.
Our readers certainly know what I mean : the nice scent you get when you go out for a walk in the woods after a beautiful summer day to seek shadow and fresh, cool air. Heavenly !
The nose gets round with floral scents, lemon also, accompanied by a perfume in the good sense of the word ! Of course, juniper abound.
Taste :
I can state that I Have the same little “problem” as with the nose : not withstanding that the first nip comes in softly and velvety, juniper and coriander dominate. Adding a few drops of water, releases all the other tastes and they are many !
The gin turns a little bit sweet with juniper up front, followed by coriander, orange, lemon and pepper, rather spicy pepper. It dries the back of my lips, whilst remaining beautifully round. Even an earthy taste appears. Really good !
Finish :
Long aftertaste with a nice dry bitter ending !
Gin & Tonic :
The combination I preferred is the one with the East Imperial Burma : a nice dry Gin & Tonic, but with a fruity twist.
The V.J.O.P. is so characterful that it easily matches this strong tonic !
Garnish :
I would like to keep it simple this time too without unnecessary frills.
Lemon zest, orange zest and a few juniper berries are more than enough.
I must admit that in my opinion, both gins, Standard and V.J.O.P., have no need at all for any garnish whatsoever !
Conclusion :
I’m very positive about these gins ! In both tasted products, the passion for quality of those making these gins is more than obvious.
The V.J.O.P. is my preference since I like gins featuring a convincing, dry juniper. If your preference is a more fruity gin with a nice dry twist, then go without a doubt for the Standard dry Sipsmith.
Go! Go! Go to the gin shop and buy one - or better still - both versions of Sipsmith ! You will not regret it !
My score for both :
Standard Dry gin : a very good 4,3/5.
V.J.O.P. : an even better 4,5/5. This score puts the V.J.O.P. in my TOP 20.
A little detail : each bottle has a code on it. Entering this code on the Sipsmith website will inform you of the production date and an even that took place on that day.
My code : LDG/367
Event :
Jan 29th 2013
Passionately Crazy
Batch No : LDG/367 Bottles : 470
We're all very passionate and definitely a bit crazy here at Sipsmith and so inevitably we all love the images from the African Cup of Nations fans. This is definitely one of our favourites though. This batch is dedicated to the passionately crazy/ crazily passionate Niger fan after his team LOST 3-0.
#GinTonic
Author: G.V. van Gin Ur Way
Review : K.H., G&Teasing
Without prior written consent of the author, nothing in this text can be used!
