Named for its place of origin in Clapham, South London, SW4 is an independently-produced gin made of 5-times distilled neutral grain spirits, which is re-distilled in a pot still with its botanicals. The botanical list includes most of the classics, with a few minor twists. The full list includes juniper, savory, orris, angelica, cinnamon, cassia, licorice, coriander, nutmeg, orange, lemon, and almond.

There’s a big burst of lemon and juniper right when you pour a shot out of the bottle. The juniper hangs around the longest, forcing the citrus notes into the background. The body is quite sharp, the polar opposite of so many modern gins, which turn to floral notes and a gentle sweetness to become more palatable to a modern, sweet-toothed crowd. You’ll get none of that here. SW4 is old school, juniper-forward stuff, dense with pine forest notes, almost to a fault. Balance is a tricky issue with SW4. I catch some of the nutmeg, cinnamon, and licorice notes here, but those botanicals are fleeting and soon overpowered by a strong, forest-fueled finish.

Nothing at all wrong with this approach, just be ready for a gin that doesn’t pull any punches

80 proof.

B+ / $30 [BUY IT NOW FROM THE WHISKY EXCHANGE]

SW4 London Dry Gin

$30

8.5

Rating

8.5/10

BUY IT NOW