There's a quiet revolution happening in the Old Tom category, and Jensen's Old Tom Gin sits right at the heart of it. Distilled at Thames Distillers — one of London's most respected contract distilleries, responsible for some genuinely outstanding spirits — this is a gin that takes the Old Tom style seriously. Not as a novelty or a marketing exercise, but as a legitimate historical category that deserves the same care and attention as any London Dry.
A Study in Restraint
What strikes me most about Jensen's Old Tom is the botanical bill. Juniper, coriander, angelica root, liquorice root, orris root, and lemon peel — six botanicals, nothing more. In an era where some producers are cramming thirty-odd ingredients into their recipes, there's something deeply admirable about this level of restraint. Every botanical here is doing a job. Juniper provides the backbone, coriander adds that gentle citrus-spice warmth, and the root trio of angelica, liquorice, and orris gives the spirit its characteristic roundness and subtle sweetness. That lemon peel lifts the whole thing, adding brightness without pulling it into contemporary territory.
The Old Tom Difference
For anyone unfamiliar, Old Tom sits between a London Dry and a Dutch genever on the sweetness spectrum. It's the style that would have been poured in Victorian gin palaces, and it's the gin that was originally specified in a proper Tom Collins. Jensen's approaches the sweetness question with finesse — the liquorice root does much of the heavy lifting here, contributing a natural, botanical sweetness rather than relying on added sugar. At 43% ABV, there's enough structure and presence to stand up in cocktails without bulldozing the other ingredients.
Why This Matters
I have enormous respect for what Jensen's are doing here. This isn't a gin designed to win over vodka drinkers or ride a flavoured gin trend. It's a historically informed spirit made with proper technique at a serious distillery. The price point of around £40 feels fair for what you're getting — a carefully crafted, small-batch Old Tom that honours the category's heritage while being entirely drinkable by modern standards. An 8 out of 10 feels right: this is a gin that knows exactly what it wants to be, and executes it with real skill.
Best Served
This is a Tom Collins gin, full stop. Build it long: 50ml Jensen's Old Tom, 25ml fresh lemon juice, 15ml simple syrup, topped with chilled soda water over good ice in a tall glass. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a cherry. The natural sweetness of the liquorice root means you can back off the syrup slightly compared to a London Dry. It also makes a beautiful Martinez — stir 45ml Jensen's with 30ml sweet vermouth, a barspoon of maraschino liqueur, and two dashes of Angostura over ice, then strain into a coupe. The botanical sweetness marries beautifully with the vermouth. That's where this gin truly sings.
