Review: James Gin – Asian Parsnip and California Dreamgin’

The James of James Gin is James May, that noted host of Top Gear and, it turns out, a whole bunch of cooking- and travel-related TV shows. He also owns a pub in the English countryside, and he makes gin — with five expressions currently under his belt. I know all this because May explained it to me during a visit to Austin, Texas, to promote the release of his American Mustard expression.

We’re not reviewing that one today but rather look at two different expressions, #1 and #5, which are named Asian Parsnip and California Dreamgin’ respectively.

We’ll add reviews of more James Gin expressions here as we receive them.

All are 80 proof and bottled in 700ml decanters.

James Gin JG.01 Asian Parsnip Review

There is no such thing as an Asian parsnip, of course. The name refers to two separate components in the aromatics bill — Asian spices and parsnips, regular parsnips. Full ingredients include parsnip, ginger, caraway seed, cubeb pepper, fenugreek, cardamom, grains of paradise, liquorice root, sweet orange, juniper, angelica root, and coriander seed.

The nose reveals a fairly classic London dry profile at the start, featuring plenty of juniper, cardamom, and coriander. With time in glass, it leans more into the Asianness promised by the product’s name, as the earthier spice elements take on an incense-like quality, with more visible caraway in the mix. It’s not overblown, however, and otherwise it presents a fairly on point, classic gin aroma. The Asian elements of the gin are more visible on the palate, where the piney juniper notes are milder and dusky, toasted spices evoke a Moroccan bazaar and wafting hints of incense. There’s a gentle butteriness to the gin, a creamy quality that perhaps draws some of its unctuousness from the inclusion of earthy parsnips in the bill. Coriander and cardamom continue to weave in and out of a surprisingly gentle midpalate and finish, though the conclusion has a slightly racy punch of juniper and cracked black pepper. Very mild, but quite versatile. A- / $50

James Gin JG.05 California Dreamgin’ Review

Inspired by California hippie culture, with a heavy focus on mushrooms, though here non-psychedelic. Full botanical list: juniper, coriander, angelica root, mushroom, patchouli leaf, liquorice root, lemon peel, oregano, and bay leaf.

“Based on mushrooms” is an ambitious approach for any spirit, but if it’s going to work anywhere, it’s going to work in gin. It sort-of does in this instance, offering a very earthy nose that can be a bit pungent if you’re not prepared for it. The inclusion of patchouli and oregano infuse a musky depth to the gin, only amplifying the mushroom character even further. The palate does not diverge from aromatic expectations. If anything, it is an even clearer expression of mushroom and anise, with coriander and bay leaf all well-evidenced. I’ve never tasted patchouli but I have to imagine the tarry, bitter, and very green elements in the gin have to be driven at least in part by this perfumy inclusion, particularly on the finish, which lingers forever like that guy on Haight Street. It is all a bit much, and while I’m sure there’s a cocktail out there that serves as a showcase for this gin’s greatest features, I don’t quite know what it is. B / $50

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