There's something genuinely thrilling about opening a bottle that's been waiting patiently since the 1970s. The Red Hills Gold Label Dry Gin is a piece of spirits history — a London Dry from an era when gin distillation followed stricter, more traditional conventions, and when the category hadn't yet experienced the botanical renaissance we enjoy today.
A London Dry From Another Era
At 45% ABV, this sits at a robust strength that was far more common in the seventies than today's standard 40%. That extra alcohol isn't just a number on the label — it acts as a carrier for volatile aromatics, meaning a gin bottled at this strength will have preserved its botanical character with remarkable integrity over the decades. London Dry as a category demands that all flavour comes from the distillation process itself, with no post-distillation additions, so what you're tasting here is pure distillery craft frozen in time.
Without confirmed botanical details, we're in classic London Dry territory: expect juniper to lead firmly, likely supported by the traditional supporting cast of coriander seed, angelica root, and citrus peel. What fascinates me about vintage gins is how time softens and integrates these elements in the bottle, creating a harmony that's impossible to replicate fresh off the still.
At £89.95 this is clearly a collector's piece, and I'd score it a well-earned 7.7 out of 10 — the premium reflects its rarity and age rather than any reinvention of the wheel. It's a beautifully made London Dry that deserves respect for what it represents.
Best Served
I'd honour this one in a classic Martini — two parts gin to one part dry vermouth, stirred over ice for a full thirty seconds and strained into a frozen coupe. A single lemon twist, expressed over the surface, is all the garnish you need. Let the gin speak for itself.
