Navy Strength gin occupies a singular place in the canon of British spirits — a category born not from fashion but from function, where proof had to be high enough that gunpowder would still ignite if the spirit spilled over it. At 57% ABV, Perry's Tot Navy Strength Gin from the New York Distilling Company honours that tradition with conviction, drawing its name from Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry, the legendary naval officer who once oversaw the Brooklyn Navy Yard. It is a gin that wears its history openly.
Style & Botanical Character
The botanical bill here is classically structured yet quietly ambitious. Juniper leads, as it must in any gin worthy of the name, supported by the dry, earthy anchor of angelica root and the citrus brightness of both orange and lemon peel. Coriander adds its familiar spiced lift, while star anise, cardamom, and cinnamon introduce a warming, almost Eastern complexity that gives the spirit its distinctive personality. What sets Perry's Tot apart from more austere Navy Strength expressions is the inclusion of wildflower honey — an unconventional choice that I suspect lends a subtle roundness, softening the higher proof without compromising the gin's authority.
This is a botanical combination that suggests real thought in the blending room. The nine botanicals are well-chosen: traditional enough to satisfy the purist, yet sufficiently layered to reward the curious drinker. At 57% ABV, one expects the juniper and spice to carry considerable weight, and this gin appears built to deliver exactly that — bold, structured, and unapologetic in its intensity.
Context & Category
The New York Distilling Company has established itself as one of the more serious craft operations in the American gin landscape, and Perry's Tot is arguably their flagship expression. Within the Navy Strength category, it sits in interesting company — it is neither a stripped-back juniper bomb nor an overly experimental curiosity. Instead, it occupies the middle ground with confidence, offering enough complexity to stand alone while possessing the backbone that the category demands.
At a price point of £36, it represents fair value for a Navy Strength gin of genuine character. This is not a spirit that needs to shout; it commands attention through its composition and proof alone.
Best Served
Perry's Tot is a natural Negroni gin. That 57% ABV cuts through sweet vermouth and Campari with real purpose, ensuring the juniper and spice remain legible in the glass. It also makes a formidable Navy Strength Martini — stirred, with a generous twist of lemon to echo the citrus peel in the botanical bill. For a G&T, I would reach for Fever-Tree Indian Tonic and a star anise pod to draw out that subtle aniseed thread.
A serious gin for serious drinking, and one that earns its place in any well-stocked cabinet.
