Bombay Sapphire - East Gin London (1L)
Price: $33.99
| Producer | Bombay Sapphire |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
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| Style | Gin |
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| Sku | 27673 |
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| Size | 1L |
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Bombay Gin, originally produced from a 1761 London recipe that the producer suggests uses a "unique distillation process, vapour infusion. Unlike many other gins, which boil their botanicals directly in the spirit, the 8 exotic botanicals in Bombay Dry Gin are hand placed in a perforated copper basket". With the creation of Bombay Sapphire the producers have increased the botanicals to 10, and with the Bombay Sapphire East two East Asian flavorings (Thai lemongrass and Vietnamese black peppercorn) were included in the bland to provide a much spicier drink.
Formed originally by spirit giant Diageo in 1987, and was sold to Bacardi in 1997. The gin is named to honor the popularity of the spirit during the era of Queen Victoria (whose image appears on the bottle), and the Sapphire symbolizes the Star of Bombay (of course, a sapphire) that is on display at the Smithsonian. The Star of Bombay is a 'Hollywood legend' by virtue of its purchase by film star Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as a gift for his wife, silent-film star Mary Pickford. Ironically, the Star of Bombay was actually discovered during mining in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) and not India.
The Bombay Distillery has recently moved to a new facility in Laverstoke, Hampshire (on the southern coast of England). While the state-of-the-art distillery, and surrounding countryside, is a model of contemporary approaches to both the techniques of distilling and concern for the environment, the building is one of the most historic in England. The Laverstoke Mill has been rebuild on a site that has housed a mill since the 900s. The mill was originally noted in William the Conqueror's Doomsday Book (a survey of England ordered by the king). Originally a grain mill, it was converted to a paper mill in 1712, and was later expanded to print the currency paper for both the Bank of England for for Indian Rupee. Bombay purchased the mill in 2010 and has spent four years in converting the building to a distillery and visitor center.
Bombay Sapphire Description
It features all of the botanicals from Bombay Sapphire (juniper, grains of paradise, lemon peel, cubeh berries, coriander seeds, angelica root, almond, orris, and licorice) and then adds lemongrass and black pepper. These two new botanicals clearly stand out in the nose of the Bombay Sapphire East Gin, giving it a spicier and fuller nose. The lemongrass seems to also boost the lemon in the nose and the black pepper boosts the juniper. Other than that, the nose is fairly true to Bombay Sapphire. As with Bombay Sapphire, the Bombay Sapphire East is a lighter style gin. The entry is soft with fairly soft flavors. As with the nose, the lemon and lemongrass really stand out with the black pepper and juniper not far behind. Flavors in this gin are fairly light and subtle, there's nothing overly assertive or agressive in the mix. The finish on the Bombay Sapphire East is a little more singular than Bombay Sapphire. Although it's subtle, you do get a lot of the other botanicals presenting themselves in the finish of Bombay Sapphire, including coriander, lemon, orris, and licorice. With the Bombay Sapphire East those notes are nearly lost, with lemongrass and pepper taking over.
