Ableforth's Bathtub Gin Navy-Strength 57% Vol. 0,7l

This is the Navy-Strength edition of the famous Bathtub Gin. As well as boasting a higher ABV than the original Bathtub Gin, this edition also has a bigger botanical punch thanks to the 'bashing up' (technical term) of the botanicals to release more flavour.

The story goes that the term Navy-Strength was the result of the British Navy demanding gin to be bottled at 57% abv so that if it was accidentally splashed on gunpowder, the powder would still ignite. It was more likely that it was a weight-saving measure but that's not as fun now is it?

As well as being named Best Compound Gin three years in a row at the World Gin Awards, Bathtub Gin - Navy-Strength was awarded the IWSC Trophy for Contemporary Gin in 2017!

Nose: The additional abv is immediately apparent, but well-tempered by a huge whack of citrus. After the initial hit of juniper and citrus, the spices are easily accessible – far more so than in the standard Bathtub. Top-notes of cinnamon and cardamom are supported by the earthier coriander and clove. Overall, this has one of the best noses I've ever experienced on a gin.

Palate: Huge, mouth-filling, oily and complex. The initial burst of flavour comes courtesy of the spices – cardamom, cinnamon, then follows the citrus and juniper backbone, before settling into a wonderful melange of that coriander and clove combination. Absolutely fantastic.

Finish: Incredibly long and lingering, with the cinnamon and clove jostling for position for literally minutes after the initial sip.

Overall: We talk about ‘sipping gins’ all the time, but I’m not convinced anyone is actually buying it. This, my friends, is the exception. An absolutely ridiculously flavour-packed spirit, far beyond the reaches of what would be possible using distillation alone as a method of manufacture. Just remarkable…