Review: James Gin, Complete Lineup (Updated 2026)
The James of James Gin is James May, that noted host of Top Gear and, it turns out, a whole bunch of cooking- and travel-related TV shows. He also owns a pub in the English countryside, and he makes gin — with five expressions currently under his belt. I know all this because May explained it to me during a visit to Austin, Texas, to promote the release of his American Mustard expression.
We’re not reviewing that one today but rather look at two different expressions, #1 and #5, which are named Asian Parsnip and California Dreamgin’ respectively.
We’ll add reviews of more James Gin expressions here as we receive them. Update: Added!
All expressions reviewed here are 80 proof and bottled in 700ml decanters.
James Gin JG.01 Asian Parsnip Review
There is no such thing as an Asian parsnip, of course. The name refers to two separate components in the aromatics bill — Asian spices and parsnips, regular parsnips. Full ingredients include parsnip, ginger, caraway seed, cubeb pepper, fenugreek, cardamom, grains of paradise, liquorice root, sweet orange, juniper, angelica root, and coriander seed.
The nose reveals a fairly classic London dry profile at the start, featuring plenty of juniper, cardamom, and coriander. With time in glass, it leans more into the Asianness promised by the product’s name, as the earthier spice elements take on an incense-like quality, with more visible caraway in the mix. It’s not overblown, however, and otherwise it presents a fairly on point, classic gin aroma. The Asian elements of the gin are more visible on the palate, where the piney juniper notes are milder and dusky, toasted spices evoke a Moroccan bazaar and wafting hints of incense. There’s a gentle butteriness to the gin, a creamy quality that perhaps draws some of its unctuousness from the inclusion of earthy parsnips in the bill. Coriander and cardamom continue to weave in and out of a surprisingly gentle midpalate and finish, though the conclusion has a slightly racy punch of juniper and cracked black pepper. Very mild, but quite versatile. A- / $50
James Gin JG.03 American Mustard Review
Inspired by yellow hot dog mustard and all that goes with, including pickled cucumbers, juniper, coriander, angelica root, dried tomato, liquorice root, orange peel, cubeb, rosemary, caraway seed, ginger, and bay leaf.
The mix of pickle and mustard on the nose is more than evident here, but it’s the licorice that’s perhaps the most aromatically noticeable, offering a pungency that eventually turns earthy and a little medicinal. Surprisingly gentle on the palate, the gin finds a light-handed sweetness that evokes flavors of vanilla and that creamy body discovered in JG.01. The punch of vinegary mustard is more muted here than on the nose, though you can catch it from time to time, perhaps overwhelmed by some of the other elements in the botanical bill. I did gravitate however to the bay leaf component, which lends a certain celery salt quality to the proceedings, with a saline-driven finish. Pushier than most of the James Gin lineup, at least to a degree, but worth reaching for for short Martini-like cocktails. A- / $40
James Gin JG.04 London Drizzle Review
The inspiration here feels rather obvious. Ingredients include juniper, coriander, angelica, liquorice, orange peel, cubeb, rosemary, caraway, ginger, bay leaf, lovage, beetroot, and smoked salt — those last three ingredients the only real outliers in the James Gin repertoire.
This is arguably the most traditional gin in the James lineup to date, a juniper-forward offering that noses like London Dry through and through, perhaps with a dusting of black pepper. It’s sweeter however on the palate than the nose would suggest — something of a theme with JG — and while I hesitate to suggest the beetroot might be doing some of that lift, it’s certainly a possibility. Things shift direction with time in glass to linger on that rosemary and the ginger in the mix, the latter coming across as a bit candied. The finish is surprisingly lengthy, with overtones of vanilla and milk chocolate. A pleasure, but the least unique of the lineup. B+ / $45
James Gin JG.05 California Dreamgin’ Review
Inspired by California hippie culture, with a heavy focus on mushrooms, though here non-psychedelic. Full botanical list: juniper, coriander, angelica root, mushroom, patchouli leaf, liquorice root, lemon peel, oregano, and bay leaf.
“Based on mushrooms” is an ambitious approach for any spirit, but if it’s going to work anywhere, it’s going to work in gin. It sort-of does in this instance, offering a very earthy nose that can be a bit pungent if you’re not prepared for it. The inclusion of patchouli and oregano infuse a musky depth to the gin, only amplifying the mushroom character even further. The palate does not diverge from aromatic expectations. If anything, it is an even clearer expression of mushroom and anise, with coriander and bay leaf all well-evidenced. I’ve never tasted patchouli but I have to imagine the tarry, bitter, and very green elements in the gin have to be driven at least in part by this perfumy inclusion, particularly on the finish, which lingers forever like that guy on Haight Street. It is all a bit much, and while I’m sure there’s a cocktail out there that serves as a showcase for this gin’s greatest features, I don’t quite know what it is. B / $50
James Gin JG.01 Asian Parsnip
USD50
