Hayman's Old Tom Gin (75cl, 41.4%)

Hayman's Old Tom is a lightly sweetened gin made in Balham, London, from a family recipe that revives the Victorian Old Tom style. It is bottled at 41.4%. It uses ten botanicals: juniper, coriander, lemon and orange peel, angelica root, orris root, cassia and Ceylon cinnamon, nutmeg and licorice root. These macerate for 24 hours before distillation in small copper pot stills. A little sugar is added afterwards to round the mouthfeel without making the gin obviously sweet. The nose is piney juniper and orange zest with black tea. The palate is juniper-led and creamy, with citrus, earthy spice and licorice. The finish is slightly sweeter, soft and silky.