Bimber Da Hong Pao Gin
Bimber Distillery · Bimber Distillery
Bimber is better known for whisky, but this gin shows the same meticulous approach. The Da Hong Pao oolong tea botanical is not a gimmick — it threads a warm, slightly roasted quality through an otherwise classically structured London Dry. A thinking person's gin that rewards a simple tonic serve.
Nose
Classic juniper pine opens the nose before giving way to warm cassia bark and a distinctive grapefruit citrus note. A subtle floral character — rose petal and violet — weaves through the backdrop, with an earthy orris root foundation.
Palate
The entry is all juniper — resinous and woody — before ginger heat and coriander seed emerge at the mid-palate. The rare Da Hong Pao tea infusion adds an unusual depth, registering as a subtle nutmeg warmth alongside lemon peel brightness.
Finish
Long and clean, with juniper lingering alongside a dry, peppery fade and a final lift of grapefruit.
- Style
- London Dry
- Botanicals
- Juniper, coriander, cassia bark, orris root, angelica, grapefruit peel, lemon peel, Da Hong Pao oolong tea, ginger, nutmeg
- Base Spirit
- Neutral grain spirit
- Distillation
- Pot still distillation with vapor infusion of Da Hong Pao tea leaves
Cocktail Suggestion
Oolong Collins — 2 oz Bimber Da Hong Pao Gin · 1 oz lemon juice · 0.75 oz simple syrup · 2 oz chilled soda water · Build gin, lemon, and syrup in a shaker with ice, shake briefly, strain into a Collins glass over ice, top with soda.
Food Pairing
Tea-smoked duck breast with pickled plum
Bimber Distillery, a tiny London operation founded by Polish-born Dariusz Plazewski, applies old-world grain-to-glass principles to every spirit, including this tea-infused gin distilled in small copper pot stills.
Be the first to comment.
Leave a comment
Beefeater Burrough's Reserve Oak Rested Gin
Beefeater
Master Distiller Desmond Payne's vision of what happens when the spirit meets the cask is brought to vivid life in Burrough's Reserve Oak Rested. Rested in hand-selected Jean de Lillet oak casks — previously used to age the storied French aperitif — this gin embodies the issue's theme at its most literal: the barrel's inner skin imparts golden color, vanilla richness, and a gentle tannic framework without ever eclipsing the juniper-forward London Dry character. It occupies a fascinating middle ground between gin and aged spirit, rewarding both neat sipping and barrel-aged cocktails.
Bols Genever Barrel Aged 18 Month
Bols
A masterclass in patience applied to the gin family tree. Where most gins celebrate the instant brightness of distillation, Bols Barrel Aged 18 Month embraces the slow alchemy of oak and time. The result is a spirit that bridges the worlds of aged whiskey and botanical distillate — furnace-forged grain spirit tempered into something deeply contemplative. Perfectly aligned with "The Furnace of Patience," this genever proves that even the juniper berry bows to time's authority.
Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla Gin
Tanqueray
Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla takes the classic London dry structure and overlays it with actual Seville orange botanicals, creating a gin that bridges tradition and accessibility. The bitterness of the orange is key — this is not a sweetened citrus gin but a genuine botanical expression. A versatile bottle for cocktails and a solid G&T anchor.
Conniption American Dry Gin
Durham Distillery
Durham Distillery's Conniption American Dry is a masterclass in restraint. By splitting its botanical bill between two distillation methods—heat-based and vacuum—it preserves each ingredient's essential character without compromise. The result is a gin that feels structurally honest: juniper-forward, quietly complex, and utterly transparent. In an era of gins dressed in lavender and tropical fruit, Conniption argues that the marrow of the spirit is decoration enough. Exceptional value at its price point.