Beefeater 24 London Dry Gin, 70 cl

Product Information

I enjoyed a selection of Petit Fours, underlining the creaminess, sweetness, in particular, the white chocolate and marzipan note coming through.

What was a startling contemporary style gin upon its launch now comes across as rather traditional. But that’s no criticism of Beefeater 24. Beefeater’s Burrough’s Reserve is a limited-edition, oak-rested gin that is distilled using James Burrough’s original copper “Still Number 12.” The most recent release is rested in red and white Bordeaux wine barrels.The overall gustatory sensation is medium complex, rather mellow and mild in character, whilst not overly intense or pungent whatsoever. Given that this is 45% alcohol by volume, the gin goes down smoothly creamy. Sencha is the most popular type of tea in Japan, renowned for its vegetal and grassy flavor. Chinese green tea is sweeter and a bit brighter. As a 19-year-old management trainee I was expected to spend some time in every department but it was the distillery that fascinated me. Seagers owned the Plymouth Gin distillery and that was my next step in training. Overall, bartenders and home mixologists will find Beefeater 24 a versatile mixer with a point of difference on the finish. Overall, Beefeater 24

Towards the finish, an ever so gentle floral touch creeps in. I’m reminded of violet, chamomile, as well as rose petals. All in all, it’s a mellow, sweet, and well-rounded sensation, maybe even too well-balanced for real gin geeks. The 24 is not overly complex, not overly intense, but encompassed in an all-around smooth and very creamy scenery. Flavor: Beefeater 24 is quite pleasant with sweet citrus, including notes of lemon rind and sweet lime— that moves into a mid-palate with juniper. Though less juniper-forward, the juniper is still here and remains the gin’s centerpiece.

As a contrast, certain cigars could be excellent accompaniments to this mellow gin. I went for an old-school Cuban smoke with a limited edition from Cohiba. In general, I would recommend something that adds a bit of spice, a layer of complexity in character and a touch of funkiness, to counter-balance the spirit. The first smell is surprisingly sweet, I have to confess. Despite being called a London dry, the mellowness and tranquility of the initial olfactory sensation is rather puzzling. However, it comes in a lovely orange marmalade envelope, accompanied by some fresh citrus peel and juice lemon filets. The grapefruit, one of the key botanicals for the 24, is very present as well. DESMOND PAYNE: It depends on my mood. Gin and tonic is a marriage made in heaven, but I am fond of a well-made Beefeater martini, and I have been known to sip a Negroni or two. Earlier this year we celebrated the international finals of the Beefeater MIXLDN global bartender competition. The citrus is a bit more bright and at the fore. Seville Orange zest lends Beefeater 24 a note that reminds me of Chase’s Seville Orange Gin.

It’s no secret that Beefeater is London’s best gin. Beefeater’s name origin refers to the Yeomen of the Guard, bodyguards of the British monarchy. To craft its signature London dry gin, Beefeater uses its original recipe of nine botanicals: juniper, angelica root, angelica seeds, coriander seeds, licorice, almonds, orris root, Seville oranges, and lemon peel. With distilleries now demonstrating a wide range of creative expressions of gin, bartenders are uber-excited about using this spirit in their drinks. So much so, that when we asked drinks professionals around the U.S. for their best recommendations for gins, Beefeater came up — a lot. years, eight gins, one Lifetime Achievement Award from The Gin Guild, and now an MBE, Beefeater’s Master Distiller Desmond Payne still isn’t ready to put his feet up. We chat to ‘Mr Beefeater’ about spending five decades in the gindustry…

DESMOND PAYNE: The answer is in the question – it must first of all be neutral. There is a different character, rather than flavour, from different base materials but I do not want to taste what the spirit was made from. DESMOND PAYNE: I started in the wine trade, I first worked in the cellars at Harrods learning from the bottom up. I applied for a job with Seager, Evans & Co. who were wine shippers, but who also had a gin distillery at Deptford in South East London.