Now here's a gin that immediately piques my curiosity. Bordeaux Distilling's Noble Rot Botrytis Old Tom Gin 2020 sits at a fascinating crossroads — the sweeter, rounder tradition of Old Tom gin meeting the wine world's most celebrated fungus, botrytis cinerea. For the uninitiated, noble rot is the same benevolent mould that gives us Sauternes and Tokaji, concentrating sugars and developing extraordinary honeyed, apricot-like complexity in grapes. To see a distiller channel that concept into an Old Tom expression is genuinely exciting.
Style & Character
Old Tom gins occupy that beautiful middle ground between a dry London style and the malt-heavy genevers of the Netherlands. They carry a subtle sweetness that was the backbone of golden-age cocktails long before London Dry took the crown. At 42% ABV, this sits in a comfortable spot — enough strength to carry botanical intensity without overpowering the delicate, vinous character that the botrytis influence promises. The 2020 vintage designation tells me this is a spirit tied to a specific harvest, which speaks to a winemaker's mentality applied to gin production. That kind of seasonal thinking is something I deeply respect in distilling.
Best Served
An Old Tom with this kind of pedigree is begging to be mixed into a classic Martinez — two parts gin, one part sweet vermouth, a barspoon of maraschino liqueur, and a dash of orange bitters, stirred long over a single large ice cube and strained into a chilled coupe. The inherent sweetness of the Old Tom style means the cocktail finds its balance beautifully. Alternatively, a simple Tom Collins would let the botrytis character shine through the bubbles. At £42.95, you're paying for genuine craft innovation, and I think it earns its place at 7.9 out of 10 — a thoughtful, boundary-pushing spirit that rewards the curious drinker.
