Martin Miller’s London Dry Gin, Westbourne Strength
A 90-proof spirit distilled in England, but blended in Iceland
Among the two standard offerings on roster from one of the most highly awarded UK distilleries, London’s Martin Miller’s Gin, we were recently taken by the botanical blend within their 90-proof Westbourne Strength. While all of their gin is distilled in Great Britain before being shipped to Iceland for blending with spring water, the balance of potency and flavor in the Westbourne Strength sets it apart. This very dry, super-premium gin offers up very earthy botanicals—juniper from Tuscany and India, cassia bark from China and Florentine iris—and while a nosing quickly and powerfully reveals this, a sip is smooth and even. Westbourne Strength isn’t new, but it is rapidly expanding around the globe. And it’s most likely due to the gentle maceration technique utilized to extract the flavor profile in this “reformed” London dry.
Botanicals aside, Martin Miller’s calls much attention to the water they use—drawn from a Fjord on Iceland’s west coast and blended in a village called Borganes. There’s natural clarity and despite the fact that it emerges from the Basalt Mountains, it’s very low in mineral content—something that’s often stripped from water during the distillation process anyway. That, however, is the root of the softness within the higher proof spirit. With its specific profile, Westbourne Strength makes for a good sipper and an ideal company to tonic.
Martin Miller’s London Dry Gin, Westbourne Strength is available at select retailers in more than 55 countries. It retails for $30 in the US.
Images by Cool Hunting
