Bombay Sapphire Star of Bombay Slow Distilled London Dry Gin, Vapour Infused With 12 Hand Selected Exotic Botanicals, 47.5% ABV, 70cl / 700 ml

Product Information

We knew we wanted to something different over and above just adding a new botanical, so we used 2 different types of juniper, regular juniper communis and juvenile (younger berries) greener juniper, which give more pine notes.” Botanicals

The instant I tasted it I knew Nik had created a winner. Maybe it was the pronounced juniper or the elevated ABV (47.5%), or perhaps my dazzling surroundings at the time (distillery geek right here!).

Bombay Dry Gin (originally 43% ABV now 37.5% ABV) is based on the oldest London dry recipe from 1761, predating Gordon’s Gin by 5 years. Eight botanicals lie at the core, juniper, coriander, lemon peel, orris, angelica, almonds, liquorice and cassia bark which impart herbaceous, earthy, dry, citrus and coriander notes with lot of heat on the finish.

Star of Bombay gin is based on the same eight botanicals used for its older sibling, Bombay Dry: juniper, coriander, lemon peel, orris, angelica, almonds, liquorice and cassia, with two new additional botanicals: dried bergamot orange peel from the mountains of Calabria in Southern Italy and ambrette seeds from Ecuador. Bombay Sapphire is at the heart of the finest gin & tonics. The brand's famous balance and versatile gin is a unique combination of 10 sustainably sourced botanicals, each personally chosen by our master of botanicals, Ivano Tonnuti perfect to inspire ‘curiously minded drinkers’.Add gin, vermouth and bitters and stir with a bar spoon until frost forms on the surface of the shaker. The heart of Bombay Sapphire is in the United Kingdom, in the town of Laverstoke, where the distillery is located. How is this gin made? When you go to serve, simply whisk again, shake what you require with ice, strain into the serving glasses and top with the prosecco then garnish. Enjoy!

When I chatted with Nik, he impressed upon me that this was a new gin entirely, not just a beefed up Bombay Sapphire. Nik said: On the palate, the loudness/amplified aromatic character is readily accessible. Hibiscus and a light floral note up front, the mid-palate is angelica and juniper, becoming a bit peppery and earthier on the finish. Coriander certainly, a bit loudly, but also darkened by bitter citrus rind, grains of paradise/cubeb, even a note of anise/licorice and other unresolved spice, finishing in the muddy low notes with an almost aperitif like bitterness. Overall It’s definitely has more pronounced juniper flavour, lots of pine and some citrus, but with a spicier, warmer finish than it’s counterpart, Bombay Sapphire. How to drink it Just multiply up the non-fizzy ingredients the day before your party in a sealable container and whisk them together to mix and ‘ginfuse’ fully, then keep refrigerated overnight.

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The Star of Bombay originates from Sri Lanka and is one of the largest star sapphires which have names unrelated to their origin, the other being the Star of India. [3]

The proportions of the eight 'Bombay' botanicals have been changed for Star of Bombay, as have the origins of some of those botanicals. For example three different types of juniper berries are used, including berries harvested when not quite ripe to impart fresher berry notes rather than piney notes to the gin. A different variety of coriander and angelica have also been used (angelica saponins which adds great woody and earthy notes). As with Bombay Sapphire, grains of paradise feature but are much reduced [thankfully]. As for the two new Bombay botanicals, ambrette seeds contribute musky, earthy and slightly nutty notes, while bergamot amplifies citrusy notes. In 1987, Bombay Sapphire (40% ABV) was launched with two botanicals added to the original recipe, cubeb berries and grains of paradise. The gin has more juniper aromas, with citrus, and spice sweetness, along with sweetness from the cassia bark which is supported by cubeb berries and grains of paradise. To differentiate the brand, Absolut Vodka’s Michel Roux came up with a revolutionary marketing campaign. His plan: make a big fuss about the botanicals — decades before “artisanal” spirits became a trend. Today, Bombay’s master of botanicals Ivano Tonutti maintains personal relationships with farms and suppliers and carefully safeguards the recipe, which consists of up to 12 botanicals.Juniper, coriander, grains of paradise, lemon peel, cubeb berries, orris root, almonds, cassia bark, liquorice, angelica, (the key botanicals of Bombay Sapphire) are joined by bergamot and ambrette seeds to produce a spicier, earthier gin.