Sample 3 cl Martin Millers Westbourne Strength Premium London Dry Gin 45,2% Dry Gin

Three friends, a lukewarm gin and tonic in a bar, and a decision to do better. That is where Martin Miller's starts. The spirit is distilled in England and shipped to Iceland, where it meets spring water filtered through lava. Here in 3 cl, so the stronger release can be tasted without opening a full bottle.

The expert's description

Sample 3 cl Martin Millers Westbourne Strength Premium London Dry Gin 45.2% is a London Dry Gin made through two separate distillations of juniper, coriander, angelica, orris root, liquorice, cassia, nutmeg, cinnamon, cucumber, lemon and orange, and bottled at 45.2%.

Martin Miller's was founded in 1999 by Martin Miller, David Bromige and Andreas Versteegh. The idea came out of a disappointing gin and tonic, and the brief was to build the finest gin they could, however awkward that turned out to be. The brand became one of the earliest voices in the wave of premium gin that has since reshaped the whole category.

Westbourne Strength arrived in 2003. Bartenders had asked for a version with more muscle, a gin that would not vanish behind ice, tonic and citrus in a tall glass, and the answer was a bottling at 45.2%.

The technical trick sits in the distillation. Citrus peels run on their own with the heat kept low, while the heavier, earthier botanicals such as angelica, orris root and liquorice get harder treatment in a separate run. The two distillates are married afterwards. It costs time, but it keeps the bright peel notes alive instead of boiling them away.

Finally the spirit travels to Iceland and is cut with spring water from there. That water is very soft, having passed through lava and picked up almost no minerals, and it explains a good part of the rounded mouthfeel. Cucumber lays a cool layer over the juniper and has become the house signature.

Tasting notes

Nose

Juniper straight away, dry and pine-like. A layer of lemon and orange peel follows, and underneath sits something cool and green from the cucumber alongside a trace of nutmeg.

Palate

Strong and dry, yet without sharp edges. Juniper leads, citrus peel cuts through, and coriander and nutmeg lay in a peppery warmth halfway across. Liquorice supplies the floor, and the cucumber cools everything down again.

Finish

Long and dry. Juniper and cinnamon hang on while the citrus slowly withdraws. Right at the end a cool, green note is left sitting on the tongue.

Specifications

Name: Sample 3 cl Martin Millers Westbourne Strength Premium London Dry Gin 45.2%
Producer: Martin Miller's
Region/Country: England
Type: London Dry Gin
ABV: 45.2%
Size: 3 CL
Botanicals: Juniper, coriander, angelica, orris root, liquorice, cassia, nutmeg, cinnamon, cucumber, lemon and orange
Distillation method: Two separate distillations, citrus peel on its own and the remaining botanicals apart from it
Serving suggestion: With Tonic Water, plenty of ice and a thin slice of cucumber

Flavour profile

Juniper-forward · Citrus · Spiced · Cool · Dry

Did you know?

Martin Miller had an entirely different life before the gin. He was the man behind Miller's Antiques Price Guide, the reference work antique dealers around the world reached for, and he ran a hotel in London long before juniper caught his attention.

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Frequently asked questions about Sample 3 cl Martin Millers Westbourne Strength Premium London Dry Gin 45.2%

What separates Westbourne Strength from the house's standard gin?

The strength. Westbourne Strength was built for bartenders who wanted a gin able to carry through ice, tonic and citrus without thinning out. It rests on the same botanicals, but the higher bottling gives more body and a clearer spiced warmth.

Why does the gin travel to Iceland before bottling?

Because the water there is unusually soft. The spirit is distilled in England and only then cut with Icelandic spring water, which has run through lava and carries almost no minerals. The result is a rounder mouthfeel than this strength normally allows.

Does it work in a Dry Martini?

Yes, and that is close to the discipline it was built for. The 45.2% keeps the gin upright after stirring with ice, and the cucumber adds a cool green note that flatters a vermouth at the dry end. Serve it ice cold with a lemon zest.

What does the cucumber do to the flavour?

It lays a cool, green layer over the juniper and takes the edge off the alcohol. That detail is what most people recognise the gin by, and it is also why a slice of cucumber works better than lemon as a garnish in a tall glass.

What does London Dry Gin actually mean?

It is a production method, not a place. Every flavour must be introduced during distillation itself, with no sweetening or colouring afterwards. A London Dry Gin therefore stands or falls on the quality of the botanicals that go into the still.

Does 3 cl stretch to a drink or to a neat tasting?

Both, though not at the same time. Sipped neat, 3 cl gives two good mouthfuls with room to breathe in between, and in a tall glass the measure makes one gin and tonic of normal strength. Browse the full selection of Whisky Samples.