The Bathtub Gin gang has been at it again, this time recreating a traditional style of gin that was very popular in 18th and 19th century England. Old Tom is a slightly sweetened gin, created following a request from The Handmade Cocktail Company, which needed a tasty Old Tom gin for use in their Martinez cocktail.
Old Tom got its name from an unusual dispensing method used by London gin houses.
A tom cat-shaped plaque would be hung outside where passers-by could drop a coin in the animal’s mouth. The proprietor would then dispense a shot of gin from a tube under the cat’s paws.
This almost-forgotten style of gin is perfect in sweet gin cocktails – it’s how the classic Tom Collins got its name – and makes a tasty G&T.
This is fruity and sweet on the nose with pronounced botanical notes. There is a good citrus element to it too.
The light sweetness seems to add body to this, and helps develop some of the juniper and orange flavours.
Clean with a touch of pepper.
A great gin that not only makes a great G&T (the additional body works wonders) but will make a fantastic Martinez... In fact it's the obvious ingredient for any classic gin cocktail that requires a hint of sweetness.
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Must add to my review: Master of Malt tell me that larger sizes of Old Tom are planned, maybe including a magnum 1.5 L so watch this space! :-)
This improves upon Bathtub Gin, which I wouldn't have thought possible! The same superb choice of botanicals, leading to incomparable flavours, but slightly sweeter and with a great mouth feel. My only complaint is the size: it's sold in 50 CL bottles, which is too small. There is no option to buy the usual 70 CL or even 1 Litre sizes, which you will want once you sample it. For once, all the advertising undersells the product. I'll have to buy another bottle to try it in a Tom Collins! Consumer advice: ignore the downmarket name (who expects bathtub to mean sheer quality?) and the irritating size, and purchase without hesitation
Having read reviews for this we just had to try it, and boy were we served a treat! I like the Old Tom style of gin and this is the best I've yet had. Deliciously smooth and citrusy, it leaves a slightly peppery taste at the finish. We had it with both quality tonic and lesser types to see if it made a huge difference and to be fair the gin is big enough to win over both. Served with ice and a slither of Orange peel and you have the perfect Old Tom G&T...now to try different products from the Prof.
This just went down with some cold tonic. I had it with no ice but I bet it would be lovely with ice. Very accurate tasting notes.
