gin no. 098 – Luce Spirits Old Tom

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• Luce Spirits is a botanically-oriented distiller located in Rockland, ME
• This bottle was added to The Collection on May 3, 2024
• Luce Old Tom uses freshly collected whole-branch juniper
• This is a sipping gin, best enjoyed neat

On May 2, 2024, we had a lovely dinner at Fore Street in Portland. I had a nice chat with the waiter about my gin collection, and he suggested I might like to visit Bow Street Beverage. The next afternoon on the way out of town, we stopped by. Their gin collection was excellent, but I didn’t want to buy anything I could get in a Portland Distillery.

Luce Spirits Old Tom seemed like a good choice. To be honest the label drew me in at first, but so did the Old Tom style and most importantly that it came from Rockland, Maine which is on the cost about halfway between Portland and Bar Harbor. I bought a bottle for $47.99 and entered it into the collection as gin no. 098. Luce Spirits also makes an aquavit, a black walnut liqueur, and and absinthe. There are no whiskeys or rum.

The official tasting took place on May 8. Bow Street Beverage warned me that it was more bitter. This is in part because they distill it using not just juniper berries, but the whole branch. Luce is focused on botanicals from the mid-Maine coast and uses wild-foraged, locally grown, and organic ingredients to make their spirits.

The ideal way to enjoy Luce Old Tom is as a neat sipper. It has a woody flavor with a pleasant mild bitterness. We tried it in a gin and tonic, but vastly preferred it without. A little lime improved the gin and tonic, but not enough to make it our preferred method of serving.

Overall, Luce Spirits Old Tom is highly recommended. It’s a unique and enjoyable sipping gin from a unique and dedicated distiller.