Spurned on by an article Jen was writing for The Drink Nation about gin, we decided it would be a good idea to pull all of ours out, line them up, and taste them in a row so we could compare the subtler differences of the — at a glance — similar spirits. We also invited over friend and gin-fan Becky to get another viewpoint.
The first thing we noticed was how surprised we were at the depth and breadth of flavor variations. I’ve always been a whiskey drinker and wrote off gin as “gin,” so this was a bit eye opening. Here’s the consensus as to what everything tasted like to the three of us (in the order we tried them):
1| New Amsterdam ($13.99, 80 Proof): This one was really sweet up front. It didn’t have a strong juniper or floral taste, but a lot of citrus. It smelled like rubbing alcohol, but it tasted surprisingly good for the price. We all agreed we wouldn’t use it in a drink set up to feature gin’s flavors, but this would probably be a great buy for someone that really loves their gin and tonics.
2| Bell Ringer ($15.99, 94 Proof): First thing we noticed was the strong rubbing alcohol smell. All hopes that this wouldn’t be indicative of the flavor were dashed the moment we sipped it. It was strong, without a lot of defining botanical character. It just tasted bad. Of the three of us, I was the only one that finished the tiny glass, and did so unhappily. As we should have been discussing the flavors, we were mostly preoccupied with what we would do with the rest of the bottle, because none of us ever wanted to drink it again.
3| Plymouth Dry Gin ($26.99, 82.4 Proof): Dry up front with a sweet finish, we all really loved the Plymouth. It had a ton of character and spice and a lot of good juniper flavor, and it just went down smooth. If you’re looking for a gin to really play as GIN in a cocktail (martini is obviously the first that came to mind), this is your man. As far as a gin tasting like you think gin tastes, this was one of our favorites of the day.
Five more after the break!
4| Bluecoat American Dry Gin ($26.99 [but almost always on sale], 94 Proof): Our good old local Bluecoat from Philadelphia Distilling was kind of the opposite of the Plymouth. It starts sweet and ends dry with less juniper and more citrus. Something about the flavor tasted more warm and round. Another clear winner with all of us in the same applications as the Plymouth but with drastically different results.
5| Hendricks ($30.99, 88 Proof): Not sweet, but floral, Hendricks was the third in a row that was a delicious gin that tasted nothing like the others. We got some citrus (grapefruit, maybe?) and roses. The whole thing was really complex and could really be enjoyed just in a glass with some ice. We didn’t taste any of the famous cucumber, but decided that could just be what accounts for the smoothness without actually lending much flavor.
6| Beefeater 24 ($27.99, 90 Proof): This is supposed to be an “artisan cut” of Beefeater’s standard London Dry Gin. It didn’t smell strongly or taste strongly of anything. I was aware I was drinking gin, but only barely. I know some people might really enjoy a gin that is so mild that it doesn’t bite in any particular way, but to me it just felt like a cop-out. The allure of choosing to drink a gin that tastes as little like gin as possible is lost on me. Jen and Becky both were kinder in their review, but with the same general notes: Smooth, mellow and forgettable. Good for people that don’t want to taste their gin at all.
7| Watershed Gin ($28.99, 88 Proof): This one was a bit of an outlier, as we picked it up in Ohio and it isn’t available here yet (although with the change in PA state law, you could order it from The Party Source now!), and we had middling hopes for it. While no one expected it to be bad, no one really expected to be blown away either. Oddly enough, the Watershed ended up being the biggest surprise of the day. It’s definitely a very specific flavor, but it was one of the most unique gins any of us had ever tried. It had a strong earthy, woody (cedar?) aroma, and the flavor wasn’t dry or sweet, but spicy, grassy and well rounded. The consensus was that the use of the gin would be restricted by how particular the flavors were, but if you could find the right drink for it, it could be fantastic. Celery bitters were the first thing that came to mind.
8| Ransom Old Tom ($35.99, 88 Proof): Based on the style of gin distilled before prohibition, Old Tom gin is certainly a different flavor than the standards we had been sipping all day. It had a caramel aroma and the flavor was almost reminiscent of bourbon. Brown sugar and vanilla in it’s sweetness, it had a solid bite to go with it’s great, complex taste. This was one instance where the most expensive of the gin did not disappoint. Would be great for sipping or in a martini, and I’d be really hesitant to dilute the flavor with much else.
You wouldn't know it from the picture, but Becky had fun too.
So that’s it. It was really informative to run through everything at the same time, rather than trying to compare a gin to a gin you had a week earlier. We got to know our spirits a little and feel a bit more comfortable picking which gin for which complementary flavors. I think we’ll be doing this with all our other drinks at some point because, well, it was a lot of fun. Big thanks to Becky for her help and input, too!
Great writeup! Not like I need to add to my booze stockpile, but now I’m tempted to check out some of these gins I’ve never tried.
I like Hendricks and I have some Bluecoat (probably from a link from Art in the Age to your Bluecoat + Rhuby article), but my go-to gin has been Citadelle ( http://www.citadellegin.com/#/en/spiritueux/gin/citadelle ) for ages now. Give it a shot if you happen across it.
I find it in most of the good liquor stores I visit near me in Maryland. Sometimes it disappears but usually re-emerges eventually.
When I made the mistake of buying that Bell Ringer, I was standing there with my hand on a bottle of Citadelle, because we wanted to try out something else in the under-$20 range for comparison. It would appear that we made a SERIOUSLY wrong decision haha. PA has a fairly limited gin selection at the average store, but luckily that’s one of the few they do seem to carry.
Thanks for the recommendation, I’ll definitely put that on the to-buy list!
Hah.. well, they can’t all be winners. We have a few stinkers in the liquor cabinet as well. I usually plow through them when I don’t care about flavor and just want some liquid muscle relaxer. hah. Drown in it a cola or something, just so it’s not taking up space anymore.
What part of PA are you guys in? My girlfriend’s family is in Hatboro/Willow Grove/Horsham area. Usually stop at the Fine Wine & Good Spirits on Easton Rd (by the Staples) in Willow Grove when we need to restock on things that are harder to find in MD. We can get Root and sometimes Snap but couldn’t find Rhuby or Bluecoat anywhere so hit there last time we were up in PA.
They also have an interesting selection of absinthes and such.
If you’re ever anywhere near Annapolis, MD, I can point out a few very well stocked liquor stores. No state run stores down here, so you sometimes get some interesting finds.
Hmm.. can’t find the photo of our booze collection. I have a hard time going into a liquor store and not buying something. It’s terrible. And we don’t really drink that much, so it just builds up. hah
We’re in Philly. Luckily, we’re close enough that if we need something special, it’s only a 20-30 minute drive to NJ or Total Wine in Delaware.
And you don’t have to tell me about “the sickness” in liquor stores haha. Coming back from boston we had to check two bags just for “souvenirs.”
Awesome write up. Even if it is about gin and not whiskey.
Let me know if you try Botanist!
You have me super intrigued. I’m going to be grabbing that as soon as I see some.
And don’t worry, we’ll do this for our whiskeys at some point! Probably a separate for Rye, Bourbon and Irish, to be honest. I doubt scotch though, unless we win some type of lottery. I can’t afford to be stockpiling scotches worth reviewing!
Maybe you could come by when we do one of the future ones and help out!
Haha, is it bad that I’ve already planned the bottle of scotch I’d buy if I won the lottery? Or is that just good planning?
I’m definitely in for whiskey tasting!
no planning can be bad planning if it’s got a proof.
http://pinterest.com/pin/170996117071259603/
Some day. Some. Day.
I recently tried Bols Genever, both the standard and the barrel aged, and it’s an interesting taste much like gin but more herbal. Def. worth a try, Lemon Hill has the standard genever.
We’ve actually been looking for a bottle of Bols for a while. Is the barrel aged a product of theirs, or did someone just barrel age the standard for their own use?
Aged by them and the bottle looks the same except it’s made of clay, so it’s opaque and gray not clear glass. I’ve checked a couple places (Canal’s, Total Wine in DE and NJ) with no luck. I think I’ll just have to order it online. The people I know who had it ordered it online as well.
My girlfriend is a huge gin fan, and she’s really fallen in love with Bluecoat. It’s nice that it’s local, too!
I actually didn’t like gin at all through some bad experiences with it until I got eased back in with Bluecoat. It’s the perfect kind of mild, drinkable gin to convert someone with, in my opinion!
[…] Gin tasting notes from Home Speakeasy […]
I should have read this before I picked up a bottle of Bellringer at the state store, there must be a reason it was on sale for $11.99 reduced from $19.99. Furthermore, should have stayed true to Bluecoat! That and Hendricks are wonderful in a Martini garnished with two or three slices of cucumber. Time to make the best of it.and start shaking!
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