Beefeater 24 London Dry Gin, 70 cl

Product Information

Sencha is the most popular type of tea in Japan, renowned for its vegetal and grassy flavor. Chinese green tea is sweeter and a bit brighter.

The citrus is a bit more bright and at the fore. Seville Orange zest lends Beefeater 24 a note that reminds me of Chase’s Seville Orange Gin. DESMOND PAYNE: Well, there are always new concepts and ideas in my mind. I haven’t finished yet, that’s for sure! DESMOND PAYNE: Many highlights, but mostly during my time at Beefeater. The development of Beefeater 24 is one of my proudest achievements, along with the various other gins I have introduced since. It is such a terrific time to be involved in gin production. There is a real excitement and buzz around the category. A Beefeater is actually a Yeoman Warder of the Tower of London who have guarded the Tower for 500 years and Beefeater share more than just a name with the Guardsman, they share the bond to London past, present and future. years, eight gins, one Lifetime Achievement Award from The Gin Guild, and now an MBE, Beefeater’s Master Distiller Desmond Payne still isn’t ready to put his feet up. We chat to ‘Mr Beefeater’ about spending five decades in the gindustry…Sitting in my office at the Beefeater Distillery, I am watched over by the portrait of James Burrough, Beefeater’s founder. He is making sure that I don’t tamper with his recipe! What Burrough achieved was a gin that had balance and complexity. As a contrast, certain cigars could be excellent accompaniments to this mellow gin. I went for an old-school Cuban smoke with a limited edition from Cohiba. In general, I would recommend something that adds a bit of spice, a layer of complexity in character and a touch of funkiness, to counter-balance the spirit. Along with its fruit-flavored expressions that are likely destined for spritzes, additional bottlings include Beefeater 24, marketed as Beefeater’s superior dry gin. The 24 refers to the 24 hours of steeping the (12) botanicals, which include Chinese and Japanese teas. In case you haven’t noticed, every Beefeater gin uses a select number of botanicals. The select London dry gin uses nine botanicals. Beefeater’s flavored gin, such as 24, uses 12 botanicals. Further, the blood orange and pink gin use 10 botanicals. But numbers aside, where this distillery’s love for flora is is its botanical room, where its ingredients are stored. I know, so obvious.

Towards the finish, an ever so gentle floral touch creeps in. I’m reminded of violet, chamomile, as well as rose petals. All in all, it’s a mellow, sweet, and well-rounded sensation, maybe even too well-balanced for real gin geeks. The 24 is not overly complex, not overly intense, but encompassed in an all-around smooth and very creamy scenery. The first smell is surprisingly sweet, I have to confess. Despite being called a London dry, the mellowness and tranquility of the initial olfactory sensation is rather puzzling. However, it comes in a lovely orange marmalade envelope, accompanied by some fresh citrus peel and juice lemon filets. The grapefruit, one of the key botanicals for the 24, is very present as well. Beefeater’s Burrough’s Reserve is a limited-edition, oak-rested gin that is distilled using James Burrough’s original copper “Still Number 12.” The most recent release is rested in red and white Bordeaux wine barrels.

Beefeater is the original London Dry.

With distilleries now demonstrating a wide range of creative expressions of gin, bartenders are uber-excited about using this spirit in their drinks. So much so, that when we asked drinks professionals around the U.S. for their best recommendations for gins, Beefeater came up — a lot. The sheer mixture of flavours and aromas from the botanicals captivated me. There seemed such a wider range than appeared in wine. DESMOND PAYNE: About as long as a piece of string. Beefeater 24 took me the best part of 18 months but I learned a lot during that process. First of all, you need to get inspiration from what can be done differently, especially in the use of new botanicals. DESMOND PAYNE: The move from London to Plymouth was an eye-opener at the time. Aged 21 and living on the King’s Road, Chelsea in the swinging 60s, life seemed idyllic. It was the centre of the universe, it seemed.

DESMOND PAYNE: I started in the wine trade, I first worked in the cellars at Harrods learning from the bottom up. I applied for a job with Seager, Evans & Co. who were wine shippers, but who also had a gin distillery at Deptford in South East London. Recently, after 150 years, the famous distillery opened its doors to the public, inviting visitors to take a tour to learn about the history, distilling process, and take a glimpse at the original stills. By booking a tour online or using a London pass, tourists can indulge in an interactive experience at the distillery.Once the original idea is set, then it is a question of looking at all the options of how to make it happen. I’m getting faster, but you can’t rush a good thing.