Sample 3 cl That Boutique-Y Gin Company Big Dipper Gin 46%

A travelling funfair on a late summer evening. Candy floss and popcorn, trampled grass worn down to bare patches, coloured bulbs overhead and the oily warmth of a rollercoaster that has been running since noon. Big Dipper Gin is an attempt to pour that evening into a bottle.

The expert's description

Sample 3 cl That Boutique-Y Gin Company Big Dipper Gin 46% is an English London Dry Gin distilled with juniper, orange, coriander seed, cassia and grains of paradise among others, and bottled at 46%.

The bottle belongs to That Boutique-Y Gin Company's Olfactor-y range from 2018, four gins made with fragrance specialist Lizzie Ostrom. Each release sets out to translate one particular smell into a gin. Fresh Rain chased rain falling on dry earth, Beware of the Woods went for forest floor, Dead King for Egyptian embalming. Big Dipper went for the fairground.

The botanicals are assembled accordingly. Gingerbread and cassia deliver the sweet, baked side, grains of paradise and pepper bring the heat, and sandalwood alongside oak-infused juniper supplies the woodsmoke. Elderflower, lemon and orange lift everything into brighter territory, while black liquorice sits heavy at the bottom. This is a gin built as a story rather than as a classic balancing act between juniper and citrus, and 46% gives it the muscle to survive a mixer.

This release is a 3 cl sample. That is exactly the measure needed to build one Gin and Tonic, or to taste carefully twice, without committing to a full bottle of something this unorthodox.

Tasting notes

Nose

Grass and oiled smoke first, like machinery that has run all day. Behind it sit cardamom, orange and coriander seed, with a floral thread that lifts the whole picture a little.

Palate

Sweet and soft on entry, with citrus, cocoa and buttered popcorn, before gingerbread and cassia put a warm, prickling edge on it. Juniper is present throughout, but it is woody and sits beneath the rest rather than leading.

Finish

Dry and woodsy, with ginger hanging on. The liquorice only shows up right at the end, a dry sweetness at the back of the mouth.

Specifications

Name: Sample 3 cl That Boutique-Y Gin Company Big Dipper Gin 46%
Producer: That Boutique-Y Gin Company
Region/Country: England
Type: London Dry Gin
ABV: 46%
Size: 3 CL
Botanicals: Juniper, orange, coriander seed, pepper, angelica, grains of paradise, gingerbread, cassia, sandalwood, lemon, oak-infused juniper, elderflower and black liquorice
Edition: Olfactor-y
Serving suggestion: In a classic Gin and Tonic with a strip of orange peel

Flavour profile

Sweet · Spiced · Smoky · Citrus · Woody

Did you know?

The Olfactor-y range was first sold exclusively through Harvey Nichols in London, and the four labels were drawn by Philippa Staunton around the idea of synaesthesia, the crossing of senses where sound takes on colour and smell takes on shape.

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Frequently asked questions about Sample 3 cl That Boutique-Y Gin Company Big Dipper Gin 46%

What does Big Dipper Gin actually taste like?

Sweet baking, citrus and smoke all at once. Gingerbread and cassia supply the baked sweetness, cocoa and buttered popcorn sit through the middle, and sandalwood and oak-infused juniper lay a dry smokiness underneath. It reads closer to a funfair than to a conventional gin.

What is the Olfactor-y range?

Four gins from 2018, each bottling one specific smell. That Boutique-Y Gin Company made them with fragrance specialist Lizzie Ostrom, and the other three are Fresh Rain, Beware of the Woods and Dead King. Big Dipper is the fairground entry.

Is Big Dipper Gin a classic London Dry Gin?

It is classified as London Dry Gin, but it does not taste like one. The term describes a production method rather than a flavour: everything must go in before distillation and nothing may be sweetened afterwards. The botanical profile here travels a long way from the dry juniper style most people associate with the category.

Which drink suits Big Dipper Gin best?

A Gin and Tonic with a strip of orange peel. The sweet, spiced profile needs a dry, neutral tonic that adds no further sugar, and the orange draws the coriander seed and cassia forward. In a Negroni it turns heavy, because the liquorice collides with the vermouth.

Can Big Dipper Gin be drunk neat?

Yes, and it is the best way to follow the story. At room temperature in a small glass the sequence is easy to trace, running from grass and smoke through cocoa and popcorn to ginger and liquorice. A drop of water opens the smoky notes further.

Who is behind That Boutique-Y Gin Company?

An English gin and bottling house known for comic-book labels and small, concept-driven releases. They frequently bring in outside specialists, and the Olfactor-y range is among the clearest examples, with a fragrance expert shaping the recipe itself.

What can 3 cl be used for?

One drink, or two tasting pours. It is the most direct way to try an unusual gin without opening a full bottle, and it makes it possible to set several gins against each other in a single evening. Browse the full selection of Whisky Samples.