Nicholson Original Gin

​The Nicholson gin family have a long distilling history which started at the height of the gin craze in 1736 when the Nicholson and Bowman families first started out as distillers and spirits merchants in Clerkenwell, London.

​Moving along a generation, In 1809 the Nicholson brothers John and William changed the company name to J&W Nicholson & Co, and they became early pioneers of the London Dry Gin style with the introduction of the Coffey still, and so a gin legend was born.

​The original gin gained quiet a reputation, said to be a favourite of the Iron Duke Wellington himself, and French stage actress Sarah Bernhardt, who was known to favour it in a cocktail or two. Throughout the 1920’s to 30’s Nicholson Gin was name dropped as an essential ingredient of many cocktails and was included in The Waldorf Astoria Bar Book, Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails and the Savoy Cocktail Book. Who knows, maybe it will appear in future generations of the SilverFox's own cocktail guide?

Sadly though in the early 80’s the company was bought out and gin production ceased, leaving the brand to gather dust on a shelf and talk of the glory days of flapper dresses and smoking jackets.
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 That is until now.

In July 2017 Nicholson Gin has relaunched under Nicholas Browne and Tim Walker, cousins and direct descendants of the original distillers, who are proudly carrying on the tradition.
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The brand re-birth returns to its spiritual roots (pun fully intended) of London. The bottle and label have been developed based on careful research in the company archives. The label has been updated to reflect the importance of the Nicholson family in the history of gin as well as their links to London and the Marylebone Cricket Club. William Nicholson Junior was a First Class cricketer for the MCC and became one of the first ​​​​Trustees of the MCC in 1864,

 helping  the MCC secure the site that is today Lord's "The Home of Cricket”. If that doesn’t bowl you over I don’t know what will.

​Bottled at 40.30% ABV the new gin, aptly named Nicholson Original, is still made in the London Dry Gin style, and is a faithful recreation of the original, much praised, family recipe.

The gin combines ten botanicals, namely Juniper, Coriander, Angelica root, citrus peels from oranges and lemons, cinnamon, orris root, cassia Bark, nutmeg and liquorice.
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So will this revitalised brand roar like it did in the 1920’s or have tastes changed in the last century?

SilverFox Tasting Notes
​Like sitting on a deckchair on a warm summer afternoon. The feint thwack of cricket balls on willow sounds in the background as you bask in the soft, sweet aromas of the warm village green.

 Nicholson Original Tasting Notes
Nose: Juniper and citrus
Palate: Juniper-led with citrus notes and a touch of spice
Finish: Long, dry and balanced
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Average Price: £32.50
Fox’s Rating: 7/10

This is a nice, new (or is it old?) gin. The taste isn't as experimental as some of it's competition, but that was never the intention. This is a traditional gin based on a heritage recipe and it certainly does what it intended to do, which is create a traditional London Dry gin.  It lends itself well to mixing cocktails as it takes on the flavours around it without being overpowering in itself and also makes a refreshing G&T.

The SilverFox