Today’s review is of a gin that was released last year by the City of London Distillery (a review of their new gin, Christopher Wren, will feature in November). Square Mile Gin is bottled at 47.3% ABV and is made using botanicals that include: juniper, coriander, angelica, orris, lemon, orange, and liquorice, amongst others.
On its own
Nose: Clean, classic, and straight-forward. This has a lovely balance of citrus, angelica, and spice, with good, strong juniper, too.
Taste: A lovely, smooth spirit with a full mouthfeel. Initially, there are flavours of warm spice and little pepper, before notes of coriander and citrus, and a dry finish of juniper and angelica. Such a soft, but flavourful spirit – superb.
Gin & Tonic
Clean and crisp, with fresh juniper, citrus, and then a little dry bitterness towards the end, which works well with the tonic. A classic and delicious Gin Tonic.
Martini
Another excellent drink. Made using the Diamond Method*, the cocktail has a delightful viscosity, which adds to the silky nature of the drink and produces a truly textbook classic Martini.
Negroni
This cocktail sees a superb integration between all of the ingredients, resulting in lovely, strong juniper notes and hints of spice. The latter fit in well with the vermouth, whereas the gin’s citrus notes complement the bitterness of the Campari.
In Conclusion
I think Square Mile is a textbook export/Martini strength gin. The bold juniper and bright citrus make it a great choice for long and short drinks alike. All of the drinks that I tried were excellent, but I especially enjoyed the Martini.
Summer Fruit Cup 