Fifty Pounds London Dry Gin is built around an old London recipe and the distilling experience of Charles Maxwell at Thames Distillers. Bottled at 43.5% ABV, it begins with grain spirit distilled four times before the botanicals enter the process. A short maceration is followed by batch distillation, careful selection of the heart, triple filtration and a resting period of at least three weeks. That sequence gives the gin clarity while allowing its citrus, roots and spices to settle into a coherent whole.

Juniper leads a recipe completed by coriander, orange and lemon peel, angelica root, savory, liquorice and grains of paradise. Orange and lemon brighten the opening from two directions: orange brings breadth, while lemon gives a sharper edge. Coriander and grains of paradise add dry spice, savory contributes an herbal note, and angelica holds the centre with an earthy firmness. Liquorice rounds the texture but does not turn the gin sweet.

The nose starts with pine and fresh citrus, then reveals coriander and a discreet savoury herb note. On the palate, juniper remains prominent as orange peel adds fullness and lemon keeps the attack lively. Peppery grains of paradise and coriander develop through the middle, while angelica and liquorice give weight beneath them. The finish is dry, long and gently warming, with citrus gradually giving way to roots and spice.

Fifty Pounds has enough concentration for a Martini, yet its balance is especially clear in a classic gin and tonic. Pour 5 cl into a chilled balloon glass filled with clear ice and add 12 cl of Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water. Express a broad orange peel over the surface and place it in the glass. The orange repeats a confirmed botanical, softens the tonic’s bitterness and leaves juniper, savory and grains of paradise fully visible.