Can Any American Gin Beat Bombay Dry In A Blind Face-Off?

Bombay Vs. Craft Gin — iStockphoto/UPROXX

It’s always time for gin — because gin is one of the more versatile spirits out there. It’s great in a martini, mixed forever into a creamy Ramos Gin Fizz, layered into a bitter Negroni, or just over some ice with a dash of bitters. The botanical-forward clear juice contains multitudes, is what I’m getting at.

That’s why I figured it was high time to try some gins — blind! — to see which ones are really worth tracking down.

For this blind taste test, I’m focusing on one thing: Is it worth tracking down a craft gin when you can go into any liquor store (nationwide) and simply buy some Bombay Dry Gin for around $15? Look, we write about a lot of booze around here and a lot of it is tied to a region and not available nationwide. That begs the question, are there, say, craft gins that are worth the time and effort to seek out when there’s a perfectly good macro gin at your corner liquor store? Yes, I’m blind tasting and ranking these (mostly dry) gins on taste. But I also want to figure out if any of them are really that much better than a classic bottle of Bombay.

Our lineup today is:

Still Austin American Gin “The Naturalist”
St. George Terroir Gin
Saxtons Distillery Snowdrop American Dry Gin
Mulholland Gin
Bombay London Dry Gin
Vara High Desert Gin Small Batch
Linden Leaf 88 Organic Molecular Gin

Okay, let’s see if anything can beat the iconic Bombay Dry Gin!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Blind Taste Test Posts Of The Last Six Months

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

This has a nice nose full of bright orange and lemon zest, hints of tart berries, a touch of elderflower syrup, and a hint of fresh parsley and maybe some tarragon. The palate has an almost rye spiciness with a cinnamon bent that leads to freshly squeezed orange and grapefruit juice and a hint of black pepper, anise, and dried flowers. The end has a whisper of juniper but it’s barely detectable alongside some bitter grapefruit pith.

This felt crafty (the fruitiness and savory herbs were a dead giveaway) and good. It was a nice gin overall.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a beautiful nose that takes you. journey to the high desert with fresh juniper berries, dry sage, pine sap, sandy dirt, and desert lilies. The palate leans into the forest vibe with a Douglas fir bark and pine needles which leads to huckleberries and wild sage with a hint of burnt orange and balsamroot. The end softens with a hint of dark berries and orange oils as the pine pitch and fir bark lead back to a fresh rush of juniper.

This is a journey in a glass. It’s delicious.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

There’s a lightness to this one the nose that’s slightly vodka-esque with hints of dried herbs, menthol, and a little beeswax. The palate has an orange vibe with thyme and rosemary next to cinnamon candy and clove berries. There’s a light sense of cinnamon candy on the short end.

There just wasn’t a whole lot going on here besides that cinnamon candy on the palate. It felt a little muted.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Cucumber jumps off on the nose with a mild sense of juniper berries and a hint of sweetness. The palate continues on the cucumber wave with a very sweet center — almost corn syrup — before woody spices kick in and lead back to a fresh cucumber cut with lime and lavender. The end leans into fresh cucumber and lime with a hint of vanilla lurking underneath it all.

If you like cucumber in your gin and tonics, this is your gin.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

This is just a straight-up classic on the nose with a whisper of juniper next to anise, cloves, orris root, dried florals, and sweet yet slightly tart red berries. The palate is soft with a slight sense of lime leaves next to spice barks, a hint of potpourri, and a small edge of orange candy. The end leans into the woody spices with a tiny dose of juniper, almond, and coriander.

This is clearly the Bombay. It’s so well-balanced but ultimately a little light on the flavor palate.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a dark spiced cake with a layer of plum jam and covered in milk chocolate next to hints of fresh juniper and an echo of high desert sagebrush. The palate pops with a bright orange/lemon zest vibe next to star anise, black licorice, tarragon, galang root, and a hint of pine tar. The end is soft and spicy with just the right balance of juniper, spice barks, and dried florals.

This is another really nice sipper.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a nose full of lemon oils, orange blossoms, and pumpkin skins. The palate is mildly botanical with a good hit of juniper next to licorice and anise. The end has a hint of tart red berries, lemon pepper, and spiced Christmas cake.

This was perfectly fine but not that exciting.

Part 2: The Ranking

7. Saxtons Distillery Snowdrop American Dry Gin — Taste 3

ABV: 44.5%

Average Price: $35

The Gin:

This gin is “vacuum-distilled” with 100 percent grain spirit. The idea is that they create a vacuum in the still while steeping the botanicals. That means the boiling point is lower for the spirit and, according to Saxton, that allows the juice to absorb finer notes from those botanicals.

All of that aside, this gin is infused with coriander, juniper, thyme, star anise, cocoa, orris root, cardamom, sarsaparilla root, rosemary, allspice, fennel seed, grains of paradise, orange peel, Damiana leaf, caraway seed, anise seed, and ginger.

Bottom Line:

This was the thinnest gin on the list. I can see mixing it out into a cocktail where you don’t really want too much gin character.

6. Linden Leaf 88 Organic Molecular Gin — Taste 7

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $36

The Gin:

This gin is all about the “molecular notes” of each of the 28 botanicals in the gin. Basically, the distillers look at each ingredient on a molecular level to figure out what pairs with that best before distilling with the botanicals. Evidently, they were able to intertwine 88 molecular notes from 28 exotic botanicals, which include yuzu, calamansi, grains of paradise, Aztec sweet herb, and organic juniper.

Bottom Line:

This makes me think that Pappy Van Winkle was right when he banned chemists from the old Stitzel-Weller distillery. It’s fine but didn’t really land as anything other than average.

5. Mulholland Gin — Taste 4

ABV: 48%

Average Price: $30

The Gin:

This sourced gin is distilled six times with 100 percent non-GMO corn in Missouri. That juice is then infused with juniper, coriander, angelica, French lavender, Japanese cucumber, and Persian lime aromatics.

Bottom Line:

This almost lost me on the very sweet mid-palate, and then it pulled back into a very nice gin. The clear and very fresh cucumber might be a deal breaker for some folks though.

4. Bombay London Dry Gin — Taste 5

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $21 (1-liter bottle)

The Gin:

This gin was rereleased in the 1950s based on the original Bombay London Dry Gin recipe from 1761. The gin is made with only eight botanicals. Juniper berries, coriander seeds, licorice root, almonds, lemon peel, cassia bark, orris root, and angelica root round out the base spirit.

Bottom Line:

Well, there you go. This was easily beaten. That said, this was so easy to drink and not overly heavy on the juniper that it was hard not to like. It just wasn’t that distinct when tasted side by side with some of these.

3. Still Austin American Gin “The Naturalist” — Taste 1

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $46

The Gin:

This Texas gin is made with a base of local Brasetto rye (70 percent) and non-GMO white corn (30 percent). It’s then amped up with botanicals sourced from local farmers including, juniper, cinnamon, citrus peels, elderflower, and allspice.

Bottom Line:

This was the first sip but it stuck with me. It was just really well formed, carried a nice and light juniper vibe, and felt like it’d stand out nicely in a cocktail. The only reason it’s a little lower in the ranking is that the next two just had more going on.

2. Vara High Desert Gin Small Batch — Taste 6

ABV: 44%

Average Price: $46

The Gin:

This New Mexico gin is all about that high desert. The grape distillate is infused with local juniper, coriander seed, sage, angelica root, nutmeg, star anise, cardamom, and citrus.

Bottom Line:

This has a great nose that leads to a balanced and multifaceted flavor profile. There was a rich botanical and floral vibe that feels like it’d be perfect for a dry martini or Negroni.

1. St. George Terroir Gin — Taste 2

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $32

The Gin:

This California gin takes its feel from California’s Mt. Tam wilderness. The spirit is infused with botanicals and wild herbs that grow around the unit’s hiking trails like Douglas fir, California bay laurel, wild fennel, and coastal sage (amongst other secret ingredients).

Bottom Line:

This was the most distinct and delicious gin of the day. It’s deep, fun, and clearly built. It also transports you to those Northern California trails from the nose to the finish.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

Well, Bombay didn’t even come close to winning. For my money, the top two — Vara and St. George — are the gins you want to have on your bar cart. The rest were fine. I liked the Still Austin gin and highly recommend trying that if you’re in Texas. The rest are all pretty much a pass from me.

As for the Bombay, well … I’d still probably just run down to my local liquor store for a bottle first. It’s good stuff that mixes really well. It’s also well-priced and available everywhere. The Vara and St. George feel more like gins you break out on a birthday or holiday. That Bombay feels like the gin you actually keep stocked for everyday pours/mixing.

So here’s my verdict: Bombay for the mundane and Vara or St. George for special occasions.