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Oxley’s is a smart new English gin, made using the extremely unusual ‘cold distillation’ technique. Cold distillation employs a vacuum to remove the pressure from within the still lowering the temperature to below -5°C, causing the spirit to ‘boil’.
Ladle of Contents
Oxley Gin 100cl:
NOSE: Juniper, sharp cut hay and toffee
PALETTE: Sharp and heavy juniper, cut hay, juniper and toffee.
FINISH: Long lasting bitterness and juniper
ABV: 47%
WASTE OF TIME: Uninteresting but drinkable, I’d be happier with a lot of other gins.
WORTH A CLASSIC SCORE: 80/100
Welcome to my Oxley’s review, where I’ll be surveying the gin whether it’s good enough to receive a classic score; A single push of the button to reach a perfect 100/100.
Oxley Gin 100cl Review 1:
So, let’s kick off with some background info. Oxley’s are based in the UK (Yorkshire, specifically). They beat out 50 other entrants to take the top prize in the london distillers competition back in 2014, and now it looks like they’re on the right track – they’ve recently achieved their ‘first batch’. For me, this points to a gin which has matured for some time and is (as they claim) just hitting its sweet spot.
Oxley’s is a new English gin, made using the extremely unusual ‘cold distillation’ technique. Cold distillation employs a vacuum to remove the pressure from within the still lowering the temperature to below -5°C, causing the spirit to ‘boil’. What does this mean for the end result? Oxley’s is distilled twice – something which I’ve never seen before!
I’m really into the subject of distillation, and I’ve done a bit of digging into the science behind this process – the results are not much different to double distillation using more traditional means. The bitter compounds in gin are many and varied, and by doubling the process they are all extracted, resulting in a product that’s more bitter than other gins.
Although a new gin on the market Oxley’s Gin has already been awarded a silver medal at the prestigious 2017 International Wine & Spirits competition, with an entry of over 11,000 gins from 26 countries. This might be the beginning of a very impressive story.
Oxley Gin 100cl Review 2:
The nose of Oxley’s is pretty sharp;
Juniper and cut hay are clearly there. It’s also perceptibly heavy.
The palate of Oxley’s has a lot going on. You’ll get a wallop of Juniper, a sharp cut hay note, some juniper and what feels like a sweet toffee note (maybe a background of citrus or a slightly red-fruit, its hard to make this out).
It’s also quite bitter and heavy.
The finish of Oxley’s is long lasting; bearing a large amount of bitter juniper.
Comparing the entry-level gin to the top shelf gin it’s clear which provides a better experience. With Oxley’s I’m really not sure I could tell any difference between this and a high-street gin like Gordon’s or Beefeater. I like the fact that I can try and pick out more complex notes, but I’m not sure it’s worth the effort, or the higher price point.
Aesthetically Oxley’s doesn’t really have me too keen. The bottle is a bit chunky and looks rather ugly – having an oversized label which clashes terribly with the minimalist branding.
Oxley Gin 100cl Review 3:
Considering all of the above, I’m going to make a move and say that Oxley’s is a waste of my time.
Yes, it’s good, but is it good enough to be worth the extra money? I’m not sure so I’m not going to waste a classic score here.
The page I’ve linked to below will take you to good old amazon where you can pick up a bottle of this stuff if you’re feeling it!
Oxley’s has a website. It’s pretty basic, but it’s definitely worth a look to see what they’re up to!
