Gin Gin Gin

imme

What make of gin should I buy.

It will be for gin & tonic.

There is a lot of talk about Hendricks, there seems to a certain cache about it,that could be publicity. Some people have bought into it.

Also is there a better class of tonic thzn another?

domrush

Bombay Sapphire

OldMrBrennan83

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HeidiHeidi

Hendricks and Fever Tree tonic are so hip these days that they're almost a cliché - but they make a damn fine G&T, especially if you slip a slice of cucumber into it!

A whole world apart from the auld Gordons/London Dry and Schweppes.

janja

Tanqueray Raipur if you can find the stuff is amazing otherwise Hendricks (dont like the cucumber in it tho)

Zymurgist

Glendalough gin is very nice, there's a fantastic aroma from it

beertons

I bought my friend a bottle of Drumshambo Irish Gunpowder gin yesterday. Saw an article about it in the Sunday Times, looked really good with what they said. I'll find out when he's had one or two and see what he says.

newbie2

Monkey 47 - really nice and smooth, but very pricey for such a small bottle.

My newest and now favouite is Brockmans. I have it with a wedge of grapefruit.


Tanqueray is nice too.

i'm a fan of Dingle Gin.

Would love to hear what the gunpowder gin is like.

Pinch Flat

I love the hendricks. Can be enjoyed with a nice tonic, or neat with some ice

janja wrote: »

(dont like the cucumber in it tho)

Yeah true not for everyone, although it's nice with some black pepper cracked in with the cucumber. Failing that a slice of lemon or lime is also nice for a bit of tang

BeerNut

Hendricks is madly over-rated, IMO. Slick marketing with very little behind it.

I like Bombay Sapphire, Beefeater would be my budget choice, and Aldi's London Dry Gin is very passable for less than €15 a bottle if all you want is gin that tastes of gin. Blackwater No. 5 is superb, but too good to dilute with tonic, I think.

Staplor

BeerNut wrote: »

Hendricks is madly over-rated, IMO. Slick marketing with very little behind it.

I like Bombay Sapphire, Beefeater would be my budget choice, and Aldi's London Dry Gin is very passable for less than €15 a bottle if all you want is gin that tastes of gin. Blackwater No. 5 is superb, but too good to dilute with tonic, I think.

Aldi gin is awesome value for money, that and Hendricks are in my house

Pinch Flat

Staplor wrote: »

Aldi gin is awesome value for money, that and Hendricks are in my house

Been meaning to try the aldi one, I'd read some review that it came out on top in a blind taste. Must pick up a bottle next time I'm in - great value.

SlipperyPeople

blackwater strawberry gin if you can find it. served with a strawberry, mint, tonic and pinch of cracked black pepper.

beardybrewer

BeerNut wrote: »

I like Bombay Sapphire, Beefeater would be my budget choice, and Aldi's London Dry Gin is very passable for less than €15 a bottle if all you want is gin that tastes of gin.

I'd agree with this, however I wouldn't waste Bombay on a G&T. Use the Aldi stuff for that and save the Bombay for a dirty martini! I can attest to all 3 mentioned are "clean" gins and won't give you more of a hangover than you deserve (which isn't the case for all gins).

L1011

Patww79 wrote: »

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Only if you like the taste. If not, it's not "the best"

OldMrBrennan83

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BeerNut

Patww79 wrote: »

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intheclouds

Good lord cant believe the cheap gins being lauded here!

Hendricks is muck! Maybe Im one of the percentage of people who cant taste cucumber.
Bombay Sapphire is pretty cheap and and nasty (although Bombay Sapphire East is a bit better).

G'Vine, Brockmans, Monkey 47 and Dingle are probably the best over the counter gins we have easy access to in Ireland.

Tanqueray Rangpur is quite nice but hard to get here. Plymouth Sloe gin is very very nice if you like a sloe gin - Gordons do a lovely sloe gin but its not available in Ireland.

Ive been drinking some of the small batch gins recently too, Shortcross, Blackwater, Glendalough - they are ok, not a patch on the first 4 I listed though.

Daffys, Bulldog, Tanqueray - all a bit bland.

Seriously, try the G'Vine - you will never want to drink anything else.

I intend on picking up a bottle of the Drumshanbo Gunpowder next time.

BeerNut

intheclouds wrote: »

Bombay Sapphire is pretty cheap and and nasty (although Bombay Sapphire East is a bit better).

As a long-time Bombay Sapphire fan I really wanted to like the East when it came along but the plain one is definitely better IMO, especially given the price difference.

intheclouds

BeerNut wrote: »

As a long-time Bombay Sapphire fan I really wanted to like the East when it came along but the plain one is definitely better IMO, especially given the price difference.

I think I like the spicier flavour - I prefer Tanqueray Rangpur over plain Tanqueray as well.

But you are quite right, the price difference really isnt worth it.

maximum12

As you can see OP it's a matter of personal taste. At the moment my favourites are Bombay Sapphire and Dingle. We do keep the Aldi in house because it's such great value but lacks a bit of "oomph" IMO.

I do question some of the prices of artisan gins sold in 50cl bottles.

As for tonic, bog standard Schweppes (in cans to retain carbonation) is my tonic of choice. If came out tops in this blind taste test:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinkadvice/11466577/The-perfect-GandT-whats-the-best-tonic-to-pair-with-gin.html

intheclouds

maximum12 wrote: »

I do question some of the prices of artisan gins sold in 50cl bottles.

Definitely!

maximum12 wrote: »

As for tonic, bog standard Schweppes (in cans to retain carbonation) is my tonic of choice.

Only ever buy cans now - too many times Ive opened a bottle of tonic to find its gone flat, and once its opened you really have to use it within 48 hours or it goes flat.

So cant only for me, although they might be a bit more pricey.

BeerNut

Until recently, Tesco did a Finest-brand canned tonic which was superb and dirt cheap. Seems to have gone now though Look out for it if it ever comes back.

Are there any worthwhile canned tonics, other than Schweppes?

the beer revolu

Patww79 wrote: »

No, Hendricks is regarded as the best because it is the best. There's no need to go looking for a lesser known one just because it's a known brand.

That is a ridiculous statement to make about any product when taste is subjective.

I'll give my opinion on Hendricks :
It's a well made gin, pretty inoffensive but rather ordinary. It's rather expensive for what it is but it is extremely well branded and marketed, so much so that lots of people insist that it's the best gin out there!

In last year's IWSC (a blind tasted international competition) both Hendricks and Bombay Sapphire got bronze medals, Blackwater No.5 got Silver Outstanding - 2 grades above!
So, obviously, Blackwater is the best gin out there 😉 (I make Blackwater btw).

But seriously, I would strongly urge anyone to try some of the new Irish gins: (in no particular order, apart from the first 3! )

Blackwater No.5
Blackwater Wexford Strawberry Gin
Blackwater JuniperJuniper Cask
Gunpowder Gin
Dublin City Gin
St Patrick's Gin
Dingle Gin
Glendalough
Black's of Kinsale
Bertha's Revenge
Shortcross
Highbank Orchard

Some very good gins in there.

I don't drink much tonic these days but I do like Fevertree light with our No. 5.
Schweppes goes well with our strawberry gin, as does Fevertree elderflower.

L1011

Patww79 wrote: »

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I think you'll find that the idea that people are drinking beers because they're not macro brewed they don't like is pretty much constrained to you and you alone on here.

Hendricks is highly flavoured. It is, as a result, definitely not to everyones tastes. Its also EXTREMELY expensive. You considering it the best could be far more easily suggested to be someone being taken in by marketing and "what's cool" than the beer drinkers on here, in fact.

I quite like Blackwater, even without the maker posting on here...

OldMrBrennan83

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L1011

BeerNut wrote: »

Until recently, Tesco did a Finest-brand canned tonic which was superb and dirt cheap. Seems to have gone now though Look out for it if it ever comes back.

Are there any worthwhile canned tonics, other than Schweppes?

They also killed the fantastic Finest ginger ale - it was significantly more, erm, ginger-y (there must be a better way of writing that)

Fever Tree is available in cans but is very pricey.

Simon2015

Gordons Gin is the best IMO.

intheclouds

L1011 wrote: »

Hendricks is highly flavoured. It is, as a result, definitely not to everyones tastes. Its also EXTREMELY expensive.

Apparently not everyone can taste cucumber, I must be one, I find it a bit flavourless. Would you class it as extremely expensive, it's only 45 or so a bottle? And that's a full size bottle. I've paid 100+ for gin (unfortunately that bottle was only ok - Tanqueray Malacca), but consider 40ish a standard price for a good bottle.

Must take a trip up north, good gin is considerably cheaper and I hear they have a new one called "Anti A-gin" which keeps you looking young! I need this in my life!

Found the Blackwater No. 5 kinda bland myself but I'd like to try the Wexford Strawberry, who is stocking it?

the beer revolu

I find Hendricks not very flavoured and not particularly expensive - compared to the likes of Gordon's or CDG it might be but not for its premium positioning. For example, Monkey 47 is close to twice the price of Hendricks - delicious, though.

Regarding the Wexford strawberry, where abouts are you?

L1011

intheclouds wrote: »

Apparently not everyone can taste cucumber, I must be one, I find it a bit flavourless.

I can. Protestant blood, I imagine :pac:

intheclouds wrote: »

Would you class it as extremely expensive, it's only 45 or so a bottle? And that's a full size bottle.

When you can get perfectly drinkable (moreso than Gordons/Cork/Beefeater in my eyes) gin for 15 in ze Germans, 45 is definitely premium pricing and it doesn't really justify it.