Hernö Old Tom Gin Review

Reviewing Hernö Old Tom Gin from Sweden’s first gin distillery, the most award-winning gin in Europe.

Hernö’s Old Tom Gin was first released in September 2014 and comes from what was Sweden’s first dedicated gin distillery.

The Herno Gin Distillery in Sweden — The Herno Gin Distillery

What is Old Tom Gin?

Old Tom Gin is a style of gin that was created in England in the 18th century. It’s a variation on London Dry Gin, which some people found just too dry for their taste, so Old Tom was produced as a slightly sweeter version. It eventually dropped out of sight, but is now having a resurgence.

Why Old Tom? When the British government cracked down on gin-drinking due to people… well, not drinking responsibly…places that sold gin would advertise the fact by having a wooden sign in the shape of an old tom cat on the wall. Under the sign was a slot where people could deposit a coin, and in return would get a shot of gin from an adjacent pipe. It’s a nice story but may be just that, a story, as it doesn’t sound very practical. And if people knew about the arrangement, so would the authorities, surely?

Hernö Gin

Jon Hillgren is the Founder and Master Distiller of Hernö, and is yet another of those great people in the spirits industry who had a dream, and a passion to turn that dream into reality. He bought an 18th-century farm in Dala, in the High Coast of Sweden. This is an extremely beautiful part of the country, in the north-east, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Jon’s love of gin began when he was working in London as a bartender. He got a degree in political science but all the time was researching gin and distilling, and dreamed about opening his own craft gin distillery. The dream happened in 2012, and today Hernö is the most award-winning gin in Europe.

Making Hernö Old Tom Gin

The gin is made from the same gin as Hernö’s standard London Dry Gin, which I haven’t yet tried but will do soon. However, they add more meadowsweet in the distilling, and then after diluting it down to its 43% ABV they add a touch of sugar to increase that Old Tom sweetness.

Hernö Old Tom Gin Review

First of all, I love the cat on the label. I also love the aroma. It’s very powerful, hitting you with floral as well as juniper notes. There’s that sweetness too, and notes of citrus, coriander, and spices.

On the palate – wow! This is my first taste of an Old Tom Gin, and it knocks me out. Here that sweetness really jumps out at you, it’s very strong in the mix, very honey-like, and totally surprising. The citrus is more prominent too, with the juniper a little more in the background.

All this follows through on the finish – sweetness, floral, citrus, spices, and totally smooth. If this is Old Tom Gin, I’m all for it. And then I discover it’s been voted World’s Best Gin two years in a row, and won a host of other prestigious awards – and I’m not in the least surprised.