Sipsmith London Dry V.J.O.P. Gin 750ml

V.J.O.P. comes from the same Hammersmith distillery that revived London gin production in 2009, but where Sipsmith's flagship London Dry aims for classical balance, this expression was built by master distiller Jared Brown as a tribute to juniper on its own terms. Brown has described the botanicals in a typical gin as instruments in an orchestra, each playing its part, and set out to create something that had never quite existed before, a gin where juniper took over as the sole soloist rather than sharing the stage. The result, first released in 2013, became known as Very Junipery Over Proof, or V.J.O.P., and has remained part of Sipsmith's permanent lineup ever since.

To build it, Brown developed what the distillery calls a triple juniper technique, layering the botanical into the recipe at three separate stages. Extra juniper is added to the standard ten botanical base before a three day maceration in the copper stills Prudence and Patience, more is introduced directly into the pot before distillation, and a final vapor infused addition passes through a Carter Head still. The finished spirit uses roughly double the juniper of Sipsmith's standard London Dry and is bottled at 57.7 percent alcohol by volume, a navy strength level chosen specifically to let the concentrated botanical hold its own.

The nose is dominated by resinous pine and cedar, with a thread of citrus running underneath. On the palate juniper leads decisively, joined by rich spice and a faint note of dark chocolate before a long, dry, warming finish. It makes a superb Bijou and stands up beautifully in a classic Martini.