Gin is said to have began life on ships, when sailors were looking for something to wash bitter tonic down with. The East India Company, who owned these ships, have come back to stake their claim in the revival of the Gin industry.
The Brand
The East India Company was originally founded to transport goods from across the British Empire, especially tea.
It’s rumoured that Gin & Tonics first became a thing on east India Company ships in the 1800s.
Quinine was a common treatment for malaria, which was everywhere at the time. To make the bitter quinine tonic taste better, sailors added Gin, and the Gin & Tonic was born.
Of course today it is enjoyed for reasons other than sickness, but enjoyed all the same.
Since the Gin industry is seeing such renewed interest, Sanjev Mehta, Chairman of EIC decided it was time to revive old traditions, and begin making East India Company London Dry Gin.
The Gin
The Gin took two years to create and is exquisite. Everything form the bottle to the liquid inside is filled with detail and passion.
The bottle is made from white bone China and is designed to reflect the history of the brand.
The closure is marked with the same design as the coins that EIC used to mint and trade. They were originally known as “kata”, the Indian word for coin, which soon became anglicised to cash.
It also has a Merchant’s Mark, which is a balemark that was used on all EIC goods to ensure authenticity.
Lastly, it is decorated with travel lines, indicating the trading routes that EIC used. These lines are also inscribed with some of the botanicals used in the Gin.
Now onto the Gin itself. It is made from a variety of botanicals including juniper, sweet orange peel, nutmeg, ginger, cocoa, amchur and pepper. Amchur is a powder made from unripe green mangoes that gives this Gin a fruity, hearty flavour.
The nose opens with spicy ginger and juniper. It is rich and soft, with a really lovely heat to it.
Pepper and a gentle citrus tang also come through.
The palate is bold and bright, with more citrus and the mango of the amchur really coming out.
This goes well with the exotic fruit flavours and the warming spices.
The finish is heavy on juniper, with lots more orange and pepper.
This is an exciting throw back to the roots of Gin as we know it today, and it has the quality to back up the branding. Well worth a look.