Whitley Neill London Dry

Gin and I had a rocky relationship for a very long time.  The first time I drank it, at the tender age of (information deleted), we kicked it plastic jug style.  Now, as anyone who drinks gin knows, good gin is great, but bad gin is like drinking death. Sadly, when I was a novice, I thought bad gin was representative of all gin.  This led me to avoid the spirit for years.  However, in the last two years I’ve learned to appreciate and in fact love gin for all that it can be.  I like to think that notion is captured in Whitley Neill.

Whitley Neill is a relatively young gin, having only first hit the scene in 2 double aught 4.  Inspired by the botanicals of South Africa (you may have read my review of Amarula Cream, also South African in origin), it is a traditional London Dry.  London Drys, instead of being what are essentially juniper flavored vodkas, are distilled using various botanicals for aroma and flavor. Whitley Neill adds the essential oils from nine separate botanicals to their copper pot still during the distillation process to give the product it’s unique flavor. I had thought the list would be difficult to unearth, but a little searching led me to the following list: baobab fruit, cape gooseberries, juniper berries, coriander seeds, lemon peel, orange peel, angelica root, cassia bark and orris root powder. These various ingredients are drawn from the world over to produce what we’re drinking today.

Whitley Neill presents a lot of juniper and citrus in the nose, not presenting a lot of alcohol. The flavor profile follows suit, with an even more pronounced citrus taste with a generous taste of juniper in the back end.  The finish is smooth, with no real alcohol burn to speak of.  Speaking from experience, I will tell you that Whitley Neill makes a serious gin and tonic. I personally believe that this could be the next big gin, following in the foot steps of Hendricks’s. You know what, I’m calling it now.  You heard it here first.  Whitley Neill is going to be huge.  Buy it and try it.  You’ll see.

-Out.

Tags: botanical, gin, reviews, south africa
Category: Spirit Reviews