Tommyrotter American Gin Review

Tommyrotter American Gin reviewed by Travel Distilled.

I recently reviewed Tommyrotter’s Bourbon-Barrel Gin, and it blew me away, so what is the straight gin that they then age in bourbon barrels like?

I’ve also tasted their vodka and that too is impressive. If you click on the link to the vodka review, you can read the background to the company and the origins of its unusual but likable name, Tommyrotter.

The bottle is similar too, but different from, their other spirits. I mentioned the impressive design in the Tommyrotter Vodka review and this one is consistent, but instead of three stylized stalks of grain there are two of them, at a different angle, and with six juniper berries added to the design, and on a green rather than a yellow background.

Still, though it’s always nice to see a beautiful bottle and a well-designed label, and a story of who the distillers are and where they get their water and botanicals and everything else from, what it always comes down to is what’s in the bottle.

Botanicals

Let’s start with the botanicals, which as well as juniper include angelica, cardamom, cassia, chamomile, coriander, elderflower, grains of paradise, hibiscus, lemon, orange, and nutmeg. It’s a heady mix. Grains of paradise, by the way (and I had to look it up) is a spice in the ginger family which also has hints of pepper and citrus. Sounds good so far to me.

Tommyrotter American Gin Review

When I sniff the gin it comes over as heavy on the juniper, but with a fresh-smelling floral aroma too. The spices and the citrus from the lemon and orange are also very evident. It’s a lovely well-balanced aroma.

On the palate it was similar, but a little more floral with hints of lavender and violets, and the juniper a little less strong. The spiciness and the citrus were certainly both still in there too, especially peppercorn. I thought it had a rough edge to it, so for me it wouldn’t be a sipping gin, but I read what other reviewers said about it and some did find it smooth enough to sip on its own.

I thought it would be better in a cocktail or just with tonic, and that proved to be the case. Mixing it simply with tonic took off the rough edge to the alcohol (it’s 42% ABV) and left a nicely-flavoured gin and tonic with all those spice and floral and citrus notes coming through.

In short, it’s not as spectacular as their bourbon-barrel gin, but still a gin worth drinking, especially as a mixer.