Old Tom Gin

I have a confession, up until Christmas I managed my 45 years on this planet without tasting Gin and Tonic. A colleague on the flight home from Budapest made me one instead of my usual neat Whiskey, and I loved it, that was my drink last Christmas Bombay Sapphire or Hendricks gin and tonic.
I made the mistake of mentioning how much I enjoyed it to the family, since then any occasion has seen everyone of them buying me a bottle of Gin :-).
As it's fathers day tomorrow my son had done the same but with a twist, he's bought me a bottle of Old Tom Gin. This is what Malt Masters says about it.

Professor Cornelius Ampleforth has been at it again, and this time he's recreated a traditional style of gin that was very popular in 18th and 19th century England. Old Tom is a slightly sweetened gin, created by the professor following a request from The Handmade Cocktail Company, which needed a tasty Old Tom gin for use in their Martinez cocktail.

Old Tom got its name from an usual dispensing method used by London gin houses.

A tom cat-shaped plaque would be hung outside where passers-by could drop a coin in the animal's mouth. The proprietor would then dispense a shot of gin from a tube under the cat's paws.

This almost-forgotten style of gin is perfect in sweet gin cocktails - it's how the classic Tom Collins got its name - and makes a tasty G&T.

He also bought me 7 sample bottles of different Gins, they look great, all have unusual names and sealed with wax. These are the subject of my Blip

I'm allowed to have a taste tonight as he's over so I'm looking forward to this :-)