Intro
Christopher Wren is one of several offerings from the City of London distillery which opened in December 2012 inside a cocktail bar on Bride Lane. This line was developed by master distiller Tom Nichol formerly of the Tanqueray parish. It also won gold at the IWSC in 2017 (scoring 90-92.9%). I spotted it in Sainsburys while doing my shopping one day, normally retailing at £32/bottle but reduced to around £19. As good a reason as any to treat myself…
Bottle
The bottle has a traditional but classy look and feel to it. Easily recognisable to those who have had other editions from C.O.L.D. The detailing on the glass is excellent, evoking thoughts of some of London’s architecture. The gin itself taking its name from the architect of St Pauls cathedral – Sir Christopher Wren. The label and the embossing on the bottle both proudly bear the crest of the City of London.
Botanicals
Christopher Wren is a London dry gin containing Juniper berries, angelica root, coriander, liquorice, fresh orange, lemon and pink grapefruit.
Nose
On the nose this gin has plenty of juniper and a good strong citrus punch up front. There’s also a subtle hint of celery in there and something else I can’t quite put my finger on. Considering it packs a meaty 45.3% ABV, it’s very smooth and inviting, all round it smells fantastic!
Taste
Going in neat first, I’m getting plenty of Juniper up front, the orange comes through nicely as well. It feels quite complex in its layers and very well balanced. The strength of the alchohol is more evident here than it was on the nose, but not overpowering.
I’ve added a little splash of water in and the flavour layers really open up. I’m also now getting the liquorice, layers of citrus and earthy notes. Theres loads of flavour here, it is very smooth and has great length.
Serve
The distiller themselves recommend a G&T with lots of ice and a wedge of grapefruit. I’ve also tried with an orange wheel and tonic (I used Fever Tree) which worked great as well.
Twist
For something a little different I went for Fentimans Valencian Orange Tonic Water. Some purists may feel this overrides the flavour of the gin a little, but I personally loved it.
Summary
This is a great gin! Good value at £32/bottle normal retail, even better when you consider I picked this up for under £20! It’s smooth and refined with plenty of flavour, makes a great G&T and I would buy again. You can find out more about the guys at C.O.L.D here
https://www.cityoflondondistillery.com/ .
Glasgow Gin and Grub 