GSN Review: No. 3 London Dry Gin

No.3 London Dry Gin recently unveiled a sophisticated new package, accompanied by an integrated new brand platform entitled, The Art of Perfection.

Designed by Stranger & Stranger, the updated No.3 package debuts a contemporary feel, while maintaining the brand’s trademark key as a defining embellishment molded into the glass. Featuring clean lines, minimalist label and cool, turquoise-toned glass, the new No.3 bottle complements the spirit’s crisp profile. The No.3 name and iconic key represent Berry Bros. & Rudd, the brand creator’s home at No.3 St James’s Street for over 320 years.

“As the gin category continues to proliferate here in the U.S., we are laser-focused on ensuring that No.3’s integrity translates on the backbar and retail shelf just as much as it does when sipped in a classic Dry Martini. With the same award-winning liquid in the bottle as always, the new No.3 package stays true to the brand, while offering a bright, clean and eye-catching aesthetic that aligns with No.3’s fresh and polished palate.” said Morgan Robbat, Chief Marketing Officer, Hotaling & Co.

No. 3 London Dry Gin (92 proof)
Visual: Clear.
Nose: High, bright and wintry juniper berries with a light patina of citrus and black pepper.
Taste: There’s a lot going on here from a powerful and heavy juniper welcome mat, leading into a plethora of flavors one can only describe as a potpourri of botanicals. This slightly bitter essence moves into a curiously dense mid-range that reminds me of preserved figs in a remote way. Lastly, the lemon citrus leaves a bright note on the front of the palate, while the spiciness of the pepper leaves a lingering heat on the back palate.
Finish: Long and journey-like.
Overall: A true powerhouse of a gin in the traditional London Dry style that will stand up to anything you throw at it. Perfect for a killer martini, but also as a sipping gin, this one is refreshingly different.
GSN Rating: A+

For more information go to: No 3 Gin

GSN Spirited News: March 3rd 2020 Edition

Winebow has added El Buho mezcal to its New York distribution portfolio. The Oaxaca, Mexico-based brand was founded in 2012 by chef T.J. Steele, Adam Parker, and John Henry, enlisting the Don Isaac Distillery for production. El Buho’s portfolio includes Espadin, Ensamble, Cuishe, Tepeztate, Jabali, Pulquero, and Tobala-Espadin, all distributed by Winebow. The distributor now represents the brand in five states: Illinois, Minnesota, Washington, Wisconsin, and now New York.

Louisville, Kentucky-based Copper & Kings and Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. have teamed up for a pair of limited-edition offerings. Copper & Kings’ release ($65) is an American brandy blended in a 60%-40% ratio from the distiller’s own five-year-old distillate and sourced brandies aged from nine to 18 years. The brandy was finished for 14 months in Peerless rye barrels before bottling at 54% abv. Peerless’ new whiskey ($129) is a single barrel rye finished in a Copper & Kings Absinthe barrel. Both releases are available in the companies’ gift shops and in extremely limited quantities across their distribution footprints.

Malibu Rum is launching a line of canned RTDs called Malibu Splash. The sparkling malt beverages come in 12-ounce slim cans and are targeting summer social occasions like barbecues and beach trips. Malibu Splash comes in strawberry, lime, passion fruit, and pineapple flavors, all of which are at 5% abv and retail for $9 a 4-pack or in variety 8-packs for $17, rolling out now nationally.

Sonoma, California-based 3 Badge Beverage Corporation is launching a new whisky called Benjamin Chapman. Its first release is a blend of 51% 10-year Canadian rye and 49% 7-year Canadian prairie wheat retailing at $39 a 750-ml. and bottled at 45% abv. The rye component aged for 10 years in white oak casks, while the wheat spent seven years in American oak barrels. 3 Badge says the new brand’s name refers to “an enigmatic figure from the 1960s international jet set era.” 3 Badge has a diverse stable of spirits that also includes La Pivón Vermouth, Uncle Val’s Handcrafted Gin, Kirk & Sweeney Rum, Pasote Tequila, and Bozal Mezcal.

San Diego-based Cutwater Spirits, part of the Anheuser-Busch InBev portfolio, has launched Tequila Soda, a 7%-abv canned cocktail made from Tequila, house-made soda and a hint of lime. It’s the third Tequila-based offering from Cutwater’s canned cocktail portfolio, which includes 18 labels overall. Tequila Soda will hit retail shelves in early March, priced at $9.99 a 4-pack. Cutwater is led by master distiller Yuseff Cherney, formerly of San Diego craft brewer Ballast Point.

Diageo is launching two limited edition whiskies from female blenders. The first is a new edition of Jane Walker (41.9% abv), created by master blender Emma Walker. A blended malt Scotch aged for 10 years, that offering retails at $38 a 750-ml. Also new is Bulleit Bourbon Blenders’ Select No. 001 (50% abv), made by blender Eboni Major and retailing at $50. It’s the first edition in Bulleit’s new Blenders Select series.

Rémy Cointreau-owned Mount Gay has revamped the blend of rums used in its Black Barrel and XO releases. The new blends were created by master blender Trudiann Branker. The new Black Barrel ($45) will now be made from rums aged three to seven years with more pot still rum included in the blend. The rum is finished in Bourbon casks for six months, up from four weeks. Mount Gay XO’s ($65) new recipe will use a wider range of aged rums—five to 17 years, as opposed to eight to 15—drawn from spirits aged in American whiskey, Bourbon, and Cognac casks.

No. 3 London Dry Gin, part of the Hotaling & Co. portfolio, is getting a packaging refresh. The updated bottle features turquoise glass along with clean lines and a minimalist, text-heavy label beneath the brand’s prominent key logo. The name and key are a reference to the home of the brand’s creator, Berry Bros. & Rudd, at No. 3 St James’s Street in London. The 46% abv spirit is produced in Holland at the De Kuyper distillery and imported by Hotaling, retailing nationally for $40 a 750-ml. The new packaging is available now in select states, with additional distribution to come.

Courtesy of Shanken News Daily