Bombay Sapphire Sunset is a 43% ABV special-edition gin built from the familiar Bombay Sapphire botanical base and three additional ingredients chosen for warmth, spice and late-day citrus. The gin keeps the brand's ten signature botanicals - juniper, lemon peel, coriander seeds, orris root, angelica root, bitter almonds, liquorice, cassia bark, cubeb berries and grains of paradise - then adds golden turmeric, Indian white cardamom and Spanish mandarin peel. This makes Sunset clearly related to the classic Bombay Sapphire profile, but warmer, more spiced and more rounded in its citrus register.

The Bombay Sapphire house style is closely linked to vapour infusion at Laverstoke Mill in Hampshire. Instead of boiling the botanicals directly in the spirit, the botanicals are placed in the path of the vapour so their aromatic oils are drawn out with a lighter touch. In Sunset, that technique supports a layered but clean profile: juniper and coriander give the gin its frame, lemon peel and Spanish mandarin add brightness, cassia, cubeb and grains of paradise bring spice, while turmeric and cardamom shift the centre of gravity toward a warmer, more aromatic style.

On the nose, Bombay Sapphire Sunset opens with bittersweet mandarin, lemon peel and soft spice. Cardamom brings a fragrant, almost tea-like aromatic lift, while turmeric adds a deeper golden warmth rather than a sharp heat. Juniper remains present underneath, supported by coriander and the dry spice of cubeb and grains of paradise. The citrus feels broader than in a simple lemon-led gin: mandarin gives a softer, rounder fruit impression, while the classic botanicals keep the nose controlled.

On the palate, the gin moves from citrus brightness into warm spice. Mandarin peel gives the first impression a bittersweet orange character, then cardamom and turmeric broaden the middle of the mouth. Cassia, cubeb berries and grains of paradise add structure and peppery tension, while angelica, orris and liquorice help keep the texture smooth and coherent. The finish remains dry enough to stay gin-led, with lingering mandarin peel, cardamom, turmeric and juniper.

Bombay Sapphire Sunset is well suited to a long, aromatic gin and tonic. Orange is a natural garnish because it echoes the mandarin, while star anise can reinforce the spice without turning the drink sweet. A neutral Indian tonic keeps the drink bright and lets the cardamom and turmeric remain visible. The gin also works in early-evening highballs and citrus-led cocktails where a standard London Dry might feel too austere, but where sweetness would obscure the warm spice profile.