The ornate and elaborate label on D. George Benham’s gin looks like it could be straight out of old Londontown, but the truth is it hails from Sonoma County, California. What’s a “Sonoma Dry Gin?” As Graton Distilling Co. owner Derek George Benham describes, it’s a cross between old school London Dry and fruitier New Western styles. This column-distilled gin is infused with 12 botanicals, including juniper, coriander, Meyer lemon, Buddha’s Hand citrus, chamomile, peppermint, orris root, cardamom, grains of paradise, angelica root, star anise, and galangal (a ginger-like root) — so a little off the beaten path, but nothing too terribly crazy.

The nose is fresh, almost pungent with both juniper and citrus; as a melding of styles goes, Benham’s starts off especially strong. You catch a touch of ginger aromas here, too, which adds nuance and intrigue. On the palate, the body is loaded with flavor: bright citrus — lemon and grapefruit — plus fresh ginger notes, some mint, gentle juniper, and a racy finish that, again, recalls more of that ginger. I keep going back to it… there’s a subtle floral note that emerges over time, and a light undercurrent of earthiness. All told, the gin’s balance is impressively spot-on, dancing among the various components on the palate until the finish — hot but not oppressive, a bit oily but otherwise quite clean — eventually fades out.

It’s a versatile spirit that works well with any mixer as well as on its own or in a martini. Bold and powerful but also decidedly refined, I don’t hesitate to call this one of the best gins of the year.

90 proof.

A / $40 

D. George Benham's Sonoma Dry Gin

$40

9.5

Rating

9.5/10