Hayman's London Dry Gin 750ml

Hayman's is Britain's oldest family owned gin distiller, tracing its lineage to 1863 when James Burrough, an apothecary and the great-great-grandfather of the current chairpersons, opened a small distillery on Cale Street in Chelsea. Burrough went on to found Beefeater Gin, and the family's involvement in distilling continued across generations even after the original business changed hands in the twentieth century. Christopher Hayman later reacquired part of the company, and today the fourth and fifth generations of the family run Hayman's from their London distillery, still working from recipes passed down since Burrough's era.

The gin is built from the same ten core botanicals used across the Hayman's range, juniper, coriander seed, orange and lemon peel, angelica root, orris root, cinnamon, cassia bark, liquorice, and nutmeg, with the London Dry expression placing extra weight on citrus rather than the heavier juniper or sugar emphasis found in the family's other styles. Production follows a traditional two day process, with the botanicals steeped in English wheat spirit for a full twenty four hours before distillation in one of the distillery's copper pot stills, each named after a woman in the Hayman family.

The nose is vivid and citrus led, with juniper and orange peel up front followed by warm cinnamon and a peppery coriander spine. On the palate it stays bright and crisp, with lemon and baking spice carrying through to a clean, focused finish. Its citrus emphasis makes it an excellent choice for a Southside, and it holds its structure well in a classic Gin and Tonic.