Colombo No. 7 Gin: A 1940s Sri Lankan Recipe Born When War Closed the Spice Trade Routes
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Colombo No. 7 Gin is a London Dry gin made by Rockland Distilleries in Sri Lanka. ABV: 43.1% ABV. Key botanicals include juniper, Ceylon cinnamon, curry leaf, ginger root, coriander. Our expert rating is 7/10.
Tasting Notes
Nose
White pepper, celery salt, piney juniper — earthy parma violet, subtle spice with warm cinnamon and ginger, the Sri Lankan botanicals adding warmth without heat
Palate
Black pepper spice with piney juniper and liquorice — nutty woody angelica, mild cinnamon and ginger, the curry leaf adding savoury depth without any actual curry flavour, the seven botanicals in precise balance
Finish
Zesty citrus with herbaceous juniper and black pepper — curry leaf emerging as the finish fades, a gentle herbal quality, moderate warmth, the 1940s wartime recipe proving itself eight decades later
Expert Review
7/10Based on a 1940s recipe by Carl de Silva Wijeyeratne, founder of Rockland Distilleries (est. 1924), Sri Lanka's biggest distilling company. During World War II, closed spice trade routes forced him to use locally sourced ingredients — creating a gin with Ceylon cinnamon, curry leaf, ginger and coriander. Its creation led to the first law allowing gin production outside the UK. Seven botanicals, four native Sri Lankan. Distilled in England in a copper pot still. It doesn't taste of curry.
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