Old Tom was not just sweetened London Dry gin, it was made pretty differently. Pot still compared to Column/Coffey stills, usually lack of citrus, slightly muted juniper, and some sweetness. If someone makes a London dry gin, chucks in some sugar and then calls it an Old Tom gin then they clearly don’t know its history.
Hey David, thanks for the comment you raise a really good point! You’re completely right that it isn’t necessarily just sweetened London Dry gin. Old Tom is super interesting and could probably be a much larger topic than just a snippet in the video. There is so much variation in Old Tom recipes that other than the sweetness there isn’t really any other “defining” characteristics anymore. Gin evolved a lot over the 19th Century, and the Old Tom you describe was very likely the most common profile around the early 1800s, but by the end of the century was very different as ingredients, technology (the coffee still in the 1830s), legislation and peoples preference changed. Nowadays there is as much variation in Old Tom Gin as what there is in the Gin category as a whole. It seems the major producers are all basing theirs on the latter 1800s style with a more neutral spirit (hence why I described it the way I did for simplicity sake) - Hayman’s, Tanqueray, Jensen’s, Hernö, etc. But there are some smaller craft producers recreating the early 1800s style from a pot still with a slightly malty spirit as you describe. The missing link between Genever and London Dry if you will. As for botanicals well there are still no rules other than juniper being number 1 so it can be classified as gin, but again a subjective topic that in the 1800s would have been dictated by availability and preferences of the day. I’ll pin your comment if anyone wishes to delve any deeper… Cheers! 🍸
I usually don't write comments on yt, but this video is excellent. The music is very subtle which is great, I can concentrate much better. There's nothing flashy and distracting here, just very well explained and broken down easy to understand info. Thank you for this video, I'm excited to check out the rest of your content!
Great summary for people like me who like gin but are not as informed about it as they are for other spirits such as whisky, so thanks a lot ! Cheers from France !
Wish I could find some Bathtub in my area of the USA. Also, giving the name "gin" to "genever" is like saying that "cachaca" is "rum." Genever is a very broad category of spirit that rivals gin itself.
Hey Tim, great video! We agree, there are so many different styles and types of gin and that's why we created The Spirit Cupboard! Feel free to check it out!
As a forager in the uk and a gin maker I have to say sloes are not known as hawthorn berries, slows grow on the blackthorn and hawthorn or haw berries come from the hawthorn. Both edible though!
I heard "Navy Strength" gin was issued to the ship's surgeon to use as an anesthetic (it would work as an antiseptic too, but they probably didn't know that). Most commons sailors were issued Rum, yo ho ho and all that.... Can't say I'm much interested in the "barrel aged" or "shiraz" gins, although i'll try anything once. if I want barrel aged spirit, scotch/irish/American whisk(e)y is unbeatable, if i want shiraz, a nice Barossa red is perfect. For Gin, I'm looking for different botanicals, maybe some native Australian, e.g.: Myrtle, Eucalyptus (in moderation!), macadamia, other bush herbs
Slowly making my way through your videos. While I’ve been drinking gin for years it’s only recently I’ve branched away from Tanqueray & tonic. My eyes and senses have been opened. Thanks for such an informative breakdown. Will help with decision making when exploring new gins. Awesome job.
This video is excellent! Going to binge watch your videos! Just getting into gin. I used to drink vodka and it made me so.. unreasonable let's say lol. So far, I have only tried tanqueray (which I LOVE) and bombay (which I HATE). Purchased a bottle of sipsmith London dry and martin miller for Christmas. I can't wait to try them! Merry Miller Sipsmith😂🍸🎄
At what temperature should we distill the macerated liquid so that we get best flavour & aroma without any off notes. Will low temperature such as 50 or 60 degree celcius woukd work or not. Or 80 degree is neccesary for distillation. Hoping for a quick reply from ur side it will help me a lot. Thanks in advance.
Bombay is absolutely not made in London. The distillery is 70 miles south west of London. I know we all know the Queen here and we have half a dozen “London” airports that aren’t in the city, but not everything in the South is London. We just say we live in London when we meet people abroad.. Also, about London Dry; you can add alcohol to the distillate when creating a multi shot gin. Only water and/neutral alcohol are permitted. Also 37.5% is the EU standard. It’s 40 in the States.
I start to drink Gin recently and with that it came the curiosity to know more about it. I couldn't find anywhere on TH-cam a best explanation than yours. Keep it up with the good work mate.
Great tutorial on a very necessary component in my home bar. You literally taught me more than 20 things that I didn't know I was missing from my knowledge pool. Thanks!
Old Tom was not just sweetened London Dry gin, it was made pretty differently. Pot still compared to Column/Coffey stills, usually lack of citrus, slightly muted juniper, and some sweetness. If someone makes a London dry gin, chucks in some sugar and then calls it an Old Tom gin then they clearly don’t know its history.
Hey David, thanks for the comment you raise a really good point!
You’re completely right that it isn’t necessarily just sweetened London Dry gin. Old Tom is super interesting and could probably be a much larger topic than just a snippet in the video.
There is so much variation in Old Tom recipes that other than the sweetness there isn’t really any other “defining” characteristics anymore. Gin evolved a lot over the 19th Century, and the Old Tom you describe was very likely the most common profile around the early 1800s, but by the end of the century was very different as ingredients, technology (the coffee still in the 1830s), legislation and peoples preference changed.
Nowadays there is as much variation in Old Tom Gin as what there is in the Gin category as a whole. It seems the major producers are all basing theirs on the latter 1800s style with a more neutral spirit (hence why I described it the way I did for simplicity sake) - Hayman’s, Tanqueray, Jensen’s, Hernö, etc. But there are some smaller craft producers recreating the early 1800s style from a pot still with a slightly malty spirit as you describe. The missing link between Genever and London Dry if you will.
As for botanicals well there are still no rules other than juniper being number 1 so it can be classified as gin, but again a subjective topic that in the 1800s would have been dictated by availability and preferences of the day.
I’ll pin your comment if anyone wishes to delve any deeper… Cheers! 🍸
As a fan on Ransom’s Old Tom Gin - I’d love to learn more about this category
I usually don't write comments on yt, but this video is excellent. The music is very subtle which is great, I can concentrate much better. There's nothing flashy and distracting here, just very well explained and broken down easy to understand info. Thank you for this video, I'm excited to check out the rest of your content!
Hey Mimi, thanks for the kind words and really glad you enjoyed the video! Cheers 🍸
Great summary for people like me who like gin but are not as informed about it as they are for other spirits such as whisky, so thanks a lot ! Cheers from France !
Japanese and Indian Gin is also good. Japanese add Tea leaves "Roku Gin". Indian Gin has local berries like "jamun" added.
I just found out about and bought some Roku Gin this weekend. I can't wait to taste it.
Thanks Tim … am a gin Addict and this was really informative … with great presentation!
Great review. Thanks. Learnt a lot.
Wish I could find some Bathtub in my area of the USA.
Also, giving the name "gin" to "genever" is like saying that "cachaca" is "rum." Genever is a very broad category of spirit that rivals gin itself.
Just earned a new sub, great presentation. 👍
Wow! I had no idea! Gin is my favorite liquor but I didn’t know there was so much to it.
Fabulously informative Tim. Much appreciated.
Hey Tim, great video! We agree, there are so many different styles and types of gin and that's why we created The Spirit Cupboard! Feel free to check it out!
As a forager in the uk and a gin maker I have to say sloes are not known as hawthorn berries, slows grow on the blackthorn and hawthorn or haw berries come from the hawthorn. Both edible though!
Yes, you’re absolutely right. My apologies I always get the two confused (in name only not in what they taste/look like though haha)
I heard "Navy Strength" gin was issued to the ship's surgeon to use as an anesthetic (it would work as an antiseptic too, but they probably didn't know that). Most commons sailors were issued Rum, yo ho ho and all that....
Can't say I'm much interested in the "barrel aged" or "shiraz" gins, although i'll try anything once. if I want barrel aged spirit, scotch/irish/American whisk(e)y is unbeatable, if i want shiraz, a nice Barossa red is perfect. For Gin, I'm looking for different botanicals, maybe some native Australian, e.g.: Myrtle, Eucalyptus (in moderation!), macadamia, other bush herbs
Slowly making my way through your videos. While I’ve been drinking gin for years it’s only recently I’ve branched away from Tanqueray & tonic. My eyes and senses have been opened. Thanks for such an informative breakdown. Will help with decision making when exploring new gins. Awesome job.
Hey Gail, welcome the channel and the world of gin! Thanks for the kind words and great to have you here on this journey 😁
I identify as a gin bitch, so I love learning more about my spirit of choice. Thank you for the information!
This video is excellent! Going to binge watch your videos! Just getting into gin. I used to drink vodka and it made me so.. unreasonable let's say lol. So far, I have only tried tanqueray (which I LOVE) and bombay (which I HATE). Purchased a bottle of sipsmith London dry and martin miller for Christmas. I can't wait to try them! Merry Miller Sipsmith😂🍸🎄
did you like sipsmith
Tangueray original is my go to. Love it
you reckon plymouth is its own category? theres this very unmistakable earth note/theme with it that i have not got anywhere else...
I must be a strange one because I drink gin on its own.
Me too, but we are few and far between apparently 😂
Well, I don't like Old Tom Gin mixed with anything myself, so I drink it neat or on a rock.
Me too. I don't like to corrupt my spirits I don't even add ice.
great video! Beefeater Tom Collins is one of my go-to's
Side note: "Islay" is pronounced "eye-luh"
Though I would prefer I lay given the right circumstances.
great explanations
Thanks so much! 😍
At what temperature should we distill the macerated liquid so that we get best flavour & aroma without any off notes. Will low temperature such as 50 or 60 degree celcius woukd work or not. Or 80 degree is neccesary for distillation. Hoping for a quick reply from ur side it will help me a lot. Thanks in advance.
I actually like the delicate taste of Bombay vaporized version.
I love your videos !
Man you are good!
Great Video!
Thank you 🙏
Thanks for the kind words 😊🍸
The best thing about gin is that it isn't vodka. But the problem with gin is that it isn't vodka.
Sloes are the fruit of the blackthorn bush. Hawthorn trees have bunches of red berries. Just saying. Nice video, covers some basics. :o)
Oh yes you’re absolutely right that was a slip of the tongue on my part that I didn’t pick up in the editing 😅
Thanks for the kind words, cheers 🍸
You forget that you CAN add sugar but only as much as it's in london gin it's below 0,1 g/l and in dry gin 0,5g/l.
Brilliant.
Nice content.
Thanks! Glad you think so! 🙂
I like your video.💋
Bombay is absolutely not made in London. The distillery is 70 miles south west of London. I know we all know the Queen here and we have half a dozen “London” airports that aren’t in the city, but not everything in the South is London. We just say we live in London when we meet people abroad..
Also, about London Dry; you can add alcohol to the distillate when creating a multi shot gin. Only water and/neutral alcohol are permitted.
Also 37.5% is the EU standard. It’s 40 in the States.
I'm a gin drinker and this was very informative. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the kind words 🙏
I cannot find but only 1 or 2 Sloe Gins in liquor stores around my state of Illinois.
Are there any spirits that are distilled with no juniper?
I start to drink Gin recently and with that it came the curiosity to know more about it.
I couldn't find anywhere on TH-cam a best explanation than yours.
Keep it up with the good work mate.
"Navy Strength" - What you're telling there, is the story behind the word "Proof". Thats kinda left out.
London dry or the Scottish gin is my favorite drinks that isn't a whiskey not Irish or Canadian
Whisk(e)y and Gin! My two favourites as well! Cheers 🍸 🥃
The Dutch born King William III was a factor in bringing Jenever to England....
Great tutorial on a very necessary component in my home bar. You literally taught me more than 20 things that I didn't know I was missing from my knowledge pool. Thanks!
Very in depth and informative. Not just someone's opinion as to which gin they like best. :) Learned some new facts.
Thanks, great lesson. I’m a London dry guy but I think for fun I’ll try some of those other styles.
Excellent video. Keep it up! I've subscribed and clicked the notification bell.
Dry gin, Sloe gin... give me a Vir gin...
Excellent. Thank you.
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Can you adjust the sound equalization. There is a painful treble distortion
Hey there, thanks for the feedback. Just curious if you get the same distortion on any of my more recent videos? Thank you