Gin Taste Test

[Kacey]

Yesterday we were meeting friends in Walsall so managed to go to Morrisons and Lidl to buy gin. After all the talk on here about various gins we decided to hold our own gin taste test. I poured them out, 1 part gin 2 parts tonic with 1 cube of ice and labelled them 1 to 8, OH then mixed them up and labelled them A-H. Neither of us knew which gin we were drinking and we marked them 1, 2 or 3. The 8 gins we tested were:

Hendricks
Silent Pool
Morrisons London Dry
Larios
Lidl Castlegy
Martin Miller
Opihr
Bloom

A good mix of expensive and cheap - and our top three were:

Hendricks
Morrisons
Bloom

with the the Castlegy coming a close 4th.

An interesting exercise and amazing to find out that one of the cheapest gins, Morrisons, was in the top 3, but also glad that Hendricks, which has long been a favourite of ours, was worthy of its no 1 spot

[Seatallan]

Hic!!!

Friends of ours did a similar thing with champagnes/variants on a theme some years back and a jolly good wheeze it was too

[smitch]

I'm just enjoying a Bloom gin right now

I bought it with my birthday money from my in laws. I really like it although I'm not that keen on the Tesco finest tonic I'm drinking it with. I've also just got a bottle of Bulldog gin and a premium one from Asda's own range-Portland I think it's called.

I've not tried Morrisons but glad to hear you like it. I might have to sample a bottle as we seem to like the same things!

[scullion]

hahaha - i think you should start a new thread called 'the smitch and kacey booze-off' !

[smitch]

[cheshire-cheese]

Smitch doth protest too much, methinks.

[Zosherooney]

Just finished a bottle of Bulldog gin - very nice it was too...

[cheshire-cheese]

Brockmans gin is rather good. It has a delicious berry aroma and flavour but the quality of the bottle glass is suspect. We have had two bottle since Christmas and both seem to have suffered the most rapid evaporative loss. That said, my wife is more relaxed these days.

[Bubbles]

Problem with Hendricks is that you wouldn't know if it was evaporating as the bottle is so dark in colour. I don't really drink it very often but look forward to an occasional tipple. it looks good but I do think clear glass would be more practical.

[StokeySue]

Isn't it better to keep anything like gin that is flavoured with botanicals in dark glass to protect it from light?

[Bubbles]

[StokeySue]

You'll have to tie a ribbon round yours Bubbles!

[Bubbles]

Oh don't worry I've hidden it!

[cheshire-cheese]

[Bubbles]

Yeah! Not fair - I don't like whisky!

[Zosherooney]

On a recent whim I purchased a bottle of Thomas Dakin gin, I was very pleasantly surprised. On reading the minute booklet stringed around the bottle it transpires one of the 'botanicals' is horseradish !!!! Most surprised I was...... Very sad I am now that the bottle is now well and truly duffified !!!!! Oh well, back to Larios for the time being.

[smitch]

I love that gin. My OH bought one for me the Christmas before last, then we also won a bottle at a pub quiz. I really like the spicy taste to it.

[StokeySue]

I had a G&T in a pub in Liverpool made with Bathtub Gin, loved it. So I got some in M&S, quite pricey, and by the time I got to end of it I was a bit tired of it, it was a bit too OTT.

Years ago there was a thing in OFM, they got a panel of experts to blind taste six of the major brands and rank them, but the twist was they did it twice, once with tonic and once in a dry Martini. The interesting thing was that everyone ranked them differently in the two tests, and the winning brands were different too. Can't rember all the details, but the best dual purpose gin was Tanqueray, and that was the only one that managed to come top of someone's ranking in both tests
Anyway, the point is I like Tanqueray, and it keeps cropping up on offer in supermarkets, got a litre for £20 in Sainsbury's on Tuesday

[Zosherooney]

Tanqueray is Mr. Z.'s fave. Sounds like a bargain Sue.

[smitch]

I like bathtub gin but I don't drink it on a regular basis. I have a few too many different bottle of gin so rotate them round a bit

[Zosherooney]

I bought a bottle of Hortus Summer gin......suits my tastebuds...

[smitch]

[Zosherooney]

Not heard of Drury Lane or Zymurgorium before must keep an eye out for both of them. Also gooseberry gin sounds lush, so what's your address ?.....

There are so many mini gin distilleries around these days. Bombay sapphire is made at Laverstoke at the old factory where banknote paper used to be made, I must book a trip sometime it is on the river Test and is a beautiful part of the country.http://bombaysapphire.admit-one.eu/?lan ... 1499647686

[smitch]

[StokeySue]

Sainos apparently have two new premium gins, Drury 173 and 10

I wonder if the 10 is a copy of Tanqueray's Ten, lovely gin and was stupidly expensive though now on offer at £25 at Waitrose

[Zosherooney]

I'm looking forward to tomorrows trip to Bombay Sapphires distillery the building looks amazing and the tours start at £15 (DIY, Mr. Z's is a concession as he is now an O.A.P.) up to £40 for the full sup. prog. They apparently grow all the spices in the weird but fab looking glass house for their gins.

Smitch, marmalade and violet..... Wonder what Gilly Golden would make of those....?

[smitch]

[WWordsworth]

I bought J some Gin Mare for his birthday.
It is recommended to avoid citrus and serve it with a sprig of rosemary.
He hasn't opened it yet

[Kacey]

Gin Mare is one of our current favourites. Two good ones we've recently tried are Curio made with rock samphire - just the tiniest barely there saltiness, and Sleeping Lemons made by Wild Beer. Both are excellent

[suffolk]

While in Cornwall we had some delicious Tarquin's Gin

https://www.masterofmalt.com/gin/southw ... rnish-gin/

served long with tonic and lime in the distinctive Tarquin's Gin 800ml etched balloon goblet to accompany a dish of local shellfish ... highly recommended

[smitch]

[Kacey]

Will look out for that one. Haven't had a g&t whilst in Sifnos as only gin to be found is Gordon's and as our fridge is lacking the door from the ice box, can't make ice cubes either. Making do with ice cold Retsina or a very decent craft beer we've found called Flaros, think Flying Dog Easy IPA but lower ABV.
By the way Smitch, we're in Manchester Fri night 3rd and Sat afternoon 4th November if you fancy another session?

[smitch]

Yes we're around that weekend, I'm at the gin festival on the Thursday so I may be a bit delicate Definitely up for a few beers!

[Kacey]

Great, we'll look forward to it. Let me know nearer the time if you like, if you want to meet Fri night or Saturday.

[smitch]

Will do. I've added a note on my calendar of your dates, I'll text you nearer the time.

[StokeySue]

I acquired a bottle of Bombay Sapphire East in an airport on Sunday
Very nice, a more emphatic flavour than ordinary Sapphire, but not as OTT as Bathtub Gin, which it slightly reminds me of

I gather it's one of those things only easily found when travelling