This gin was introduced to us by our Editor-in-Chief’s boss (of their real job), and it was a good thing that it turned out to not be a bad gin. (No need for awkward discussion about why their tastes are bad and they should feel bad). It however does exactly what you typically want from a London gin – to do well in tonic.
There are however a few problems here, namely the price and a single word they use in their literature. Again though for the most part, something that works this well in multiple gin drinks is fine for a well-gin, but this isn’t going to turn heads like the Langley from a few weeks ago.
What they Say: “Sipsmith’s award-winning London Dry Gin is the quintessential expression of a classic and traditional gin. Sipsmith. Why ‘Sipsmith’? Well, much the same way that wordsmiths like to create all things wordical, we like to make all things sippical. Like, harmonize. In 2009, on a mission to bring gin of uncompromising quality and character back to the city where it all began, Sipsmith threw open the doors to a traditional copper distillery which no one had done in London for nearly 200 years. Sipsmith has since won over 30 international awards for its remarkable quality gin.
Bold, complex and aromatic – smooth enough for a Martini, but rich and balanced, perfect for a G&T.
Mellow rounded juniper notes and zesty, citrus freshness on the nose. On the palate, the dry juniper leads, then reveals lemon tart & orange marmalade, before all the flavors harmonise to give a spicy finish.”
Taste: 7.0 – Sugary, sweet, and just a bit of juniper at first. It’s very delectable.
Aftertaste: 6.5 – It leaves very quickly giving a sort of clean feeling, but there’s a hidden element there that slowly burns on the backside.
Burn/Smooth: 5.0 – There is certainly some burn here, and this isn’t smooth drinking, but it could be far far worse.
Aroma: 7.0 – GIN. It truly is very upfront about being a gin fault and all. There’s a bit of harshness, the juniper is there, but not so overpowering you don’t get the feel of the other botanicals.
Honesty: 3.5 – ‘Sippical’. The design is good, the reason behind the distillery is good. Even the bottle pamphlet isn’t so bad. But there is that word. That the name comes from the same root as a wordsmith is fine, but that word ‘sippical’ ruins so much.
Mixability: 6.75
Gin and Tonic: 7.0 – It does make a damn good and serviceable G&T. It tastes good and while it doesn’t win any awards there’s no mistaking how tasty it is.
Martini: 6.5 – That’s a nice martini all things considered.
Value: 4.0 – Now that is the price the average person would pay trying to get this, however, we know for a fact this is much cheaper in London/UK proper. We have to go by average though, and this is getting into that Hendrick’s or No. 10 level of pricing, where it can’t compete.
Google Shop Average: $34
Website: https://sipsmith.com/
Reviewer Scores:
BuffaloJern: 6.0
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Metric Score: 39.75/70 |+| Metric Average: 5.68 |+| Reviewer Average: 6.0
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Final Thoughts: It’s a good gin, and if you can find it cheaper you won’t be steered wrong by buying it. However, that word sippical will haunt us till our dying days. It’s like the gymnastics scene from Jurassic Park 2 – a brief moment that ruins something otherwise pretty darn good.
