Other than the color of the glass itself, this bottle really doesn’t stand out much from across the room.įor a London Dry Gin, this actually doesn’t have much of the juniper aroma coming off the glass. Other than that, there’s some brand information but it seems to be taking up quite a bit of space and not really accomplishing much. It looks like a Victorian poster, even sporting an image of Queen Victoria herself as the most prominent component. The label here is a little boring, if I’m honest. The whole thing is capped off with a metal twist-off cap. The sides are flat, and the left and right sides are etched with the nine botanicals used in the production of the spirit. The bottle here is shaped like the sapphire for which it is named, with facets cut on the corners and a blue color in the glass. Once the gin has been produced, it is proofed down and shipped out the door. As the alcohol vapor rises through the still, the contents of this basket infuse it with botanical components, which are carried through to the condenser and the final product. Where other distilleries will directly soak their botanicals in the neutral spirit (like a big gin tea), Bombay instead places their botanicals (almond, lemon peel, liquorice, juniper berries, orris root, angelica, coriander, cassia, cubeb, and grains of paradise) in a large metal basket that is suspended in the neck of the still. What really differentiates Bombay from other distilleries is the use of a vapor infusion process. Instead, they ship in pre-produced neutral spirits from other distilleries to use in their processes. ProductĪs with other gins, Bombay Sapphire doesn’t actually produce their base spirit. In 2014, production moved to a new facility in Laverstoke Mill, south of London. The brand was part of the British spirits giant Diageo as they came onto the scene, but was sold to Bacardi in 1997, who continues to own it to this day. Launched as a product in 1987 by the London based International Distillers & Vintners, Bombay Sapphire is a brand named in reference to the popularity of gin in India following the British occupation as well as the famous Star of Bombay gem that is currently on display in the Smithsonian.

Bombay sapphire