Porter's Modern Classic Gin presents itself as a London Dry with a name that neatly captures its ambition — to bridge the established conventions of the category with a contemporary sensibility. At 41.5% ABV, it sits just above the legal minimum for gin, a deliberate choice that suggests the distillers have prioritised approachability and balance over sheer botanical intensity.
Style & Position
The London Dry designation tells us a good deal about what to expect here. This is a gin produced to one of the most tightly regulated standards in the spirits world: no artificial flavourings, no additions after distillation beyond water, and a juniper-forward profile that must be discernible in the final spirit. The word "Modern" in the name, however, signals that Porter's is not content to simply replicate a traditional template. This is a gin that wants to honour the architecture of a classic London Dry while allowing room for a more nuanced, layered botanical character.
Assessment
I found Porter's Modern Classic to be a well-constructed gin that delivers on its promise of accessible sophistication. The moderate ABV makes it versatile — it does not overwhelm in mixed serves, yet retains enough backbone to hold its own in spirit-forward cocktails. It is the kind of bottle that earns its place on a home bar through reliability rather than spectacle, and there is genuine value in that.
At £35.25, it occupies a competitive middle ground — neither entry-level nor premium, but priced fairly for a London Dry of this calibre. I have scored it 7.8 out of 10: a solid, dependable gin that rewards considered mixing.
Best served: In a classic G&T with Fever-Tree Indian Tonic and a twist of lemon peel, or stirred into a dry Martini where its measured character can speak clearly.
