There are 9 botanicals in each edition of Pickering's: juniper, coriander, cardamom, angelica, fennel, anise, lemon, lime and cloves.  Plus this 1947 version has cinnamon as an added botanical.

They are carefully prepared and measured.

Then they're added to the grain spirit in one of Pickering's 500 litre copper stills.

These curvaceous dames are named Gert and Emily, after the founders' maternal great-grandmothers.

(Rumours that these ladies were also fat and smelt of gin are roundly refuted.)

Tasting Notes:

This edition is made precisely to Pickering's original recipe, as it was written down in Mount Mary, Bombay, in 1947. Here the botanical mix includes cinnamon, which adds a decidedly warming and spicy kick to the spirit.

Spicier, sweeter and more intense, it's a decadent trip back to the last days of the Raj. Cardamom, coriander, clove and cinnamon spice lead to a crisp, refreshing and long finish.

Recommended serve: with ice, tonic and a wedge of orange. For a more warming drink, substitute tonic water for ginger ale.

70cl; 42% ABV.

About the smoothness...

The secret to Pickering's gin's smoothness is the stills' ingenious, custom-designed bain marie heating system. This means the botanicals enjoy a slow luxurious simmer, which coaxes out their subtle, soft, highly drinkable flavours.