Under the GI scheme of the EU, the historical association of a food product with a region, and its traditional production, is codified and regulated. It’s all finished off with a sweet, fruity flavour, thanks in part to the raspberries picked from the distiller’s garden and blackberries foraged from the Oxfordshire hedge groves. The gin is often at room temperature, and use of a smaller volume volume of extra strength gin results in a colder mixture, presuming that the tonic is kept in the fridge. With every batch distilled down the road from the town harbor, Plymouth Gin has captured the essence of the sea and England’s historic love for the spirit for hundreds of years.

The 57% ABV amplifies the aroma and fragrance of the botanicals, yet retains the smooth and balanced character Plymouth gin is renowned for. These Gins , and there are not many of them, have the complexity of flavours and notes that put them in the same class as a fine Cognac or a favourite Malt Whisky. Almost syrupy, the drink is smooth enough to drink straight over ice or used as an alternative cocktail ingredient. Juniper and sweet liquorice start with a bang up-front, delightfully balanced middle with spices, citrus and oak.I recommend Plymouth Gin Navy Strenght as a feisty Gin and Tonic with a good squeeze of lime for extra citrus. It’s not entirely offensive, but once I began notice the parsnip root flavor, I had a hard time thinking of anything except pies, puddings and winter cellar vegetables. Unknown to a lot of people is the fact that, while the enlisted men subsisted on rum, Royal Navy officers drank gin.

Originally used as a medicinal spirit to fight off ailments at sea, Navy Strength gin imparts bolder flavours than its weaker counterpart. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. In 2015, the distillery's owners declined to pursue renewal of the GI, considering its protection was unneeded. This is where Plymouth Navy Strength gained its name - gunpowder was used as the test for 'proving' there was the expected level of alcohol in the clear liquid. Throw in some nice ice cubes and a squeeze of lime, give everything a quick stir, and you’re good to go.But there’s more to it than that, as is becoming abundantly obvious by the growing number of navy strength gins appearing on the market.

We make our navy strength in very small batches with a long, slow distillation to maximize flavors and aromas,” MacKenzie says. This became the official gin of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo that sports a small bearskin cap. A good navy strength gin will linger on the tongue 10-15 seconds after it’s been drunk and it stands up to the tonic much better.A blend of eight botanicals, the spirit starts with a sugar sweetness from the wildflower honey and sharp grapefruit and lemon, before being rounded out by the spicy cardamom and star anise. Inspired by naval officer Sir Francis Beaufort – the inventor of the eponymous scale, the blend uses smoked water to pay homage to the gunpowder test. Nestled in building dating back to the early 1400s, the Black Friars Distilleryin Plymouth has supplied proof strength gin to the British Navy for over 200 years.