Booth's is one of the great heritage names in English gin. The house traces its roots back to the 18th century, and at its peak it was among the most recognised London Dry brands on both sides of the Atlantic. This particular bottling — a High & Dry expression from the 1970s — is a fascinating time capsule, a snapshot of how London Dry gin was presented during a period when the category still commanded serious respect in cocktail culture before vodka's ascendancy.
Style & Character
Bottled at 47.5% ABV, this sits at a strength that was once standard for quality London Dry but has, in more recent decades, become the preserve of premium and export-strength expressions. That additional proof is significant: it suggests a gin built to hold its structure in mixed drinks, with enough backbone to assert itself against tonic or vermouth without flinching. London Dry as a category demands a juniper-forward profile with clean, unadorned distillation, and Booth's historically delivered exactly that — no flourishes, no gimmicks, simply well-made gin.
Verdict
I rate this 8.2 out of 10. The score reflects both the quality of what Booth's represented in this era and the undeniable appeal of a vintage bottling at full strength. It is not a gin you open casually — at a price point of £175, this is a collector's piece as much as a drinking spirit. That said, a gin of this calibre deserves to be tasted, not merely displayed. Best served in a classic Martini, where the higher ABV and London Dry purity can truly speak for themselves.
