Review

Bafferts Gin

Christopher Hayman of Hayman Distillers Ltd. (and Thames Distillers), London, England, UK - although the production and storage is in Witham, Essex. It is marketed and sold in the USA by Infinium Spirits (Wilson Daniels Ltd), Aliso Viejo, California.

Hayman Distillers and Infinium Spirits.

Haymans have been distilling Gin in London for over 200 years and started with James Burroughs (of Beefeater Gin fame) as James Burroughs Ltd. The company was sold in 1987 to Whitbread, although part of the business was retained and renamed Hayman’s. Today Christopher Hayman is supported by his son (James) and daughter (Miranda), the great-great-grandchildren of James Burroughs.

The Bafferts Brand was established in 2000, and is marketed as “A Gin even a Vodka lover will fall for!” Using a recipe dating back to the 1800’s, it is unusual in its choice to use only four botanicals.

This Compound Gin is triple distilled and sold in a simple, cleanly designed bottle, with a distinctive twist running the length of the glass. Bafferts has blue lettering on the bottles as opposed to the green lettering on the flavored Gin: Bafferts Mint.

Compound Gin.

40% (80 Proof).

$$.

Uses 4 botanicals: coriander, juniper, lemon and orange peel.

Unknown – although possibly named after Robert “Bob” Baffert, the great American racehorse owner and trainer.

It is certainly like Vodka and has a very subtle nose with only the lightest hint of its botanicals. Correspondingly the flavor is very light, albeit still displaying the mild, distinctive, Gin character. The addition of most mixers, mask the flavor of the Gin – a clear choice for the Vodka drinker seeking to broaden their palate (this is similar to Vedrich Gin). This makes a pleasant Dry Martini (i.e. go light on the vermouth), being somewhere between a Martini and a Vodka Martini!

Bronze Medal, San Francisco World Spirits Competition, 2006.