First Impressions
In 1924, Carl de Silva Wijeyeratne founded Rockland Distilleries in Colombo. When World War II closed the international spice trade routes, he turned to what grew on Sri Lanka's doorstep: Ceylon cinnamon (the world's finest), curry leaves, ginger root. The gin he created was so distinctive that it led to the first legislation allowing gin production outside the United Kingdom. Colombo No. 7 — named after Colombo's most prestigious postal district — revives that wartime recipe. Seven botanicals, four native Sri Lankan, distilled in England in a copper pot still.
Tasting
The nose is white pepper and celery salt with piney juniper, earthy parma violet, warm cinnamon and ginger. On the palate, black pepper spice meets piney juniper and liquorice, nutty woody angelica provides structure, and mild cinnamon and ginger add Sri Lankan warmth. The curry leaf adds savoury depth without any actual curry flavour — a persistent myth that the name perpetuates. Seven botanicals in precise balance. The finish is zesty citrus with herbaceous juniper and black pepper, curry leaf emerging as a gentle herbal quality on the fade.
The Bottom Line
Colombo No. 7 earns a 7 for reviving a genuinely historic recipe and proving that Sri Lankan botanicals — particularly the incomparable Ceylon cinnamon — deserve a place in gin. Carl de Silva Wijeyeratne made gin from necessity during wartime; his descendants offer it as a choice in peacetime. It does not taste of curry. It tastes of Sri Lanka. Best with a premium Indian tonic and a cinnamon stick.
