Loving on Aviation and Botanist this summer, straight over rocks. Hendricks & tonic w/cucumber & cracked black pepper is the bomb. Tanqueray is classic.
I will definitely try this, Hendricks is a different sort of gin not like the others, but you saying black pepper added, I am VERY curious like wtf is going to happen here, and now want to try that. Spices are something I never even considered adding to a drink unless it called for it. I am almost giddy, like "give me pepper" because I have never been put off by something with some hot spice to it. Too much salt or sugar yes, but not a tingly pepper like spice
I'm a cocktail bartender, so beafeater works well with sippers, but if you throw it in a shaker drinks it will disappear. Gordon's strong body, however, help the gin remaining after I shake them all up.
I've always been a Tanqueray girl, but lately I've been trying others. I skipped Beefeater because of the low price. I did try Gordon's and ew. OK. Now I'll reach for the Beefeater. You have made me brave.
Gordons gin is my favorite mainstream gin I started drinking gin from the gordons level and went far up to the top as Monkey 47 or Tanqueray 10, but personally gordons is just pure standards for me ... Love it
I keep the bombay for when I have friends over who want a gin and tonic or if I don't want to drink my good stuff that night. Still better the tanqueray in my opinion though.
Beefeater - a lesson in don't judge alcohol by the price. One of the cheapest available to me and I'm glad it is. I started with Bombay and I agree it's strong. My wife said it tasted like cough syrup. She's not into alcohol, but that's almost spot on. Chemicalish in flavor. Not bad, just not worth the price.
@@deanfinch9750 Espolon Blanco. I prefer Blanco in most, but not all Tequilas. The Reposado is not bad at all, and it what is convinced me to try the Blanco.
Hey and Correlejo ain't bad either, but it's a bit more than Espolon. I did prefer their Reposado to the Blanco, and went through a few bottles of it before finding Espolon.
My first gin experience was when I was at a friend, who had a "blue" gin bottle at home, and I am pretty certain it was the Bombay Sapphire (obviously ^^). I was so disappointed that I thought to myself "If this is what gin tastes like, I guess it's absolutely not my cup of tea..." As you so aptly describe it, the flavour was harsh and chemical like. Ironically, a few years later when I started getting interested in mixology and started making martinis, I actually bought Beefeater because of the low price and I was like "Oh well, I guess I am just gonna give it a go", and I was utterly baffled how well it tasted and I was like "What was that "blue garbage" I tasted all those years ago?" The balance, the smoothness and the richness of Beefeater just made me fall in love with gin. Thank you for this enlightening video!
Only God knows how the Beefeater’s so cheap. Fortunately for me, Beefeater’s been my first experience with a gin and that too in my country, it’s available at 47 percent and it’s taste is just wow! So lucky that I purchased this instead of Bombay Sappire as it was cheaper😅(although by just ₹300/$4)
Nail polish tastes comes from a very strong Juniper influence. If you're sensitive to that you'll often feel that way. I find that cucumber balances that out a bit, so it's understandable that you prefer the Hendricks then. :) I like cucumber in my Gin Tonic also :) I'll try them both anyway.
@@LeutnantJoker I just got bottle of beefeater, it’s better than I remembered. I think the bartender from way back when I started drinking gin did me wrong. Lol 😂 I don’t mind it at all now, just a very honest bottle of London dry haha 👍🏻
For any new Gin drinkers watching, regular (red label?) Bombay is MUCH better than sapphire. It's got a more "spicy" like black pepper taste, where as the sapphire has a weird flowery kind of taste. Don't be tempted by the pretty blue bottle lol
Thanks for this little tip! Here the Sapphire is found in every store whereas only one place has the Bombay Red label which is ironically cheaper too. I honestly thought the fancy blue bottle meant higher quality. (completely new to gin)
@@lars2894I think all gin drinkers have fallen into the sapphire trap at some point haha happy to help! I actually like Seagrams for everyday nothing fancy drinking... Happy drinking!
Bombay is such a beautiful lady in blue and I am physically attracted to it that is until you went into the room. As they say, nice to see, does not mean it is delicious.
Interesting. To be honest I find gordon's, bombay, and beefeater interchangeable for London drys and normally just grab whatever's on sale/cheapest. However that's with the caveat that I exclusively buy gin for mixing and am really only looking for a robust juniper flavour most of the time. I'm sure if I did a G&T or martini flight I could identify differences and preferences.
I've never tried Playmouth but in my book Bombay and Tanqueray are my top 2 keeping in mind value for money. I really love the specific taste of Bombay which you hated 😁
I'm ashamed to say that my gin journey began with Gilbey's around 1975. It wasn't until I tried Bombay, not the Saffire, a few years later that I realized that gin can be good and that the tonics make a huge difference as well. Thanks Bobby!
My first gin was Roku(didn't really fancy it), then Plymouth (absolutely love it. It's a proper gin with very noticeable citrus flavour). Then I went with Beefeater and I was disappointed. Was better than Roku, but I didn't like it that much(Beefeater 24 was absolutely amazing). Tanqueray is my current favourite/go-to gin. It's just my personal opinion.
Yup. My intro was via Tanqueray and then I went off on a hunt. Tried several. Definitely not a fan of Beefeater and was fooled by the "blue" bottle for a while and have settled with joy into a good ole Tanqueray fave
Love Roku! It’s what converted into liking gins/ giving gin a chance. Aviation is also good. And I wasn’t a fan of sapphire. Usually drink tanqeueray in LIIT’s but passed on drinking it neat or in a gin forward cocktail.
Great video for a brand new Gin enthusiast! Was turned onto your channel from a fellow Scotch compadre over at Scotch 4 Dummies. The Vesper Martini is what made me start down the rabbit hole of Gin! And when made with Aviation Gin versus Seagrams, eye opening! Just picked up a Hendricks Flora and it is so different, in a good way! Also have the standard Bombay, and it is doing well in the Vesper. Will be catching up on all your content! Cheers!🥃
i started gin with gordon's initially, but then i tasted bombay saphire and absolutly loved it and still do. Its actually my favourite. lots of botanicals, lots of different tates that work perfectly for me. For me gin is all about botanicals and citrics so maybe thats why i love it so much. great video tho the rest of the gins i somewhat agree with your opinion and most of all 100% agree with you when u say gin is a super personal taste
Of all those on the table and I really like Hendricks I would put beefeater at the top as well. I got a bottle of Tanqueray the other day and I don't care for it.
Gin is in a way the most exiting drink to mix with. THere's ONE longdrink... a gin and tonic... and pretty much every bartender in the whole world has their own version of it or is still trying to find the perfect one. There's tons of tonic variants and even more gins. It's such a wide field of notes and tastes it's something for everyone and fun to explore. And I think that puts gin apart from a lot of other spirits. Those don't all taste the same either, sure, but gin has the widest variety I think. And with the different tonic combinations you have so many permutations you can experiment for the rest of your life and never taste them all.
Congratulations on your sincerity, I was in Bombay because it's flashy, here in Brazil the evaluators lie, I was in beautiful blue but I'm in the top 1
Agree about Bombay Sapphire being chemically in taste! I would say though, Gordon's makes a great dirty martini! It's funny, i started at Beefeater and recently revisited and found it lacking for some reason. Interesting! Love me some The Botanist straight on ice. Tasty!
You have got to try Junipero Gin out of San Francisco. About 99 proof, affordable and tasty! Also, I got Aviation Old Tom; it's just "okay" to me, too expensive, not sweet enough and a bit funky. Regarding the video: Oddly, thanks to mini bottles, I've tried every gin here except Beefeaters. I can't find a mini anywhere. I should just buy a whole bottle but London Drys just aren't my favorite. Everytime I go to get a new gin I wind up spending money on an American or Old Tom.
Spot on and cheers from California, USA! Who indeed would want to add cucumber to anything?!?! That's just absurd.... Just a side note, you might include the fact that Plymouth (my favorite among the bunch) was once the official gin of the Royal Navy, just to add some coolness to the equation.... Take care!
Hi Dave, Glad you agree with me about the cucumber! 🤢 Yes, I actually talk about Plymouth gin being the choice for the Royal Navy in my Plymouth navy strength review. 👍👍😊😊
Your assessment is very accurate. I started getting into gin recently and just kept asking for Bombay at the bar. When I tried tanquery my life was changed.
Ok but only a few months ago I tasted Broker’s.... And why was my mind freaking BLOWN???? I like Hendricks but it’s not for everything.... If one hates cucumber it’s not for you, and I quite like it with an extra dry martini but with a cucumber instead of an olive or twist. I LOVE beefeater! So I agree with you there! The go to if you’re going somewhere and you can rely on them having it.... But why is broker’s soooo outrageously well balanced, strong, smooth, AND comes with a cute little hat?
Interestingly, Bombay Sapphire was my first gin. I thought it was great because it tasted like pine trees! Now I mostly drink Brokers and a local brand called Dented Brick, and I'm much happier.
@@nononsensegindrinking5152 I just bought my first bottle of gin, a little too early it seems. I went with the Bombay Sapphire as well and the smell reminds me of that old piney aftershave (very much chemically)
Response from the USA: I have pretty much only drank gin with tonic water and am brand new to drinking gin straight. I overcame my hesitation and have just now finished my second shot of 80-proof (40%) Gordon's gin. I was surprised to find that it tastes so good (slightly sweet with juniper up front and licorice in the aftertaste). I am willing to try your suggested Plymouth gin. You had me laughing with your critique of Hendricks gin: "It contains cucumber, which I think is vile! That is where madness lies." I was really surprised when you picked Beefeater as your favorite gin. You were ecstatic while you were describing it. I will pick up a bottle and try it out. Thanks for the suggestion.
Woohoo just picked up a bottle of beefeater and it was the cheapest of all of them. Just made myself a dirty martini with it:) great honest review 👌 i agree with you!
As much as I like your channel, I think that your shirt is a subliminal message for people to drink Beefeater. I don’t mind it because I love that gin. However, it does make me wonder. Cheers from the other side of the pond.
They put cucumber also in tonic water so people seem to like it. And I have to say I like it too. In fact I one drank a nice cooled cucumber juice in a, I believe indonesian student bar. It actually tastes surprisingly great. I think it works great with gin. But hey.. there's people who like licorice and I can't stand the stuff :D But I'll give Hendricks a try for sure :) I liked the cucumber tonic water. I feel it balances out the Juniper a little bit.
I would never eat cucumbers on their own but I personally LOVED it in the gin. It really helped smooth some edges and with that rose water it makes for one of the easiest sipping gins I have had. Definitely one of my favorites.
I have loved gin since I was student, gin and tonic was my go to at club or at any kind of home party. Beefeater during those days was my go to as it was relatively cheap and tasty. But I had one Hendrik's cucumber gin and tonic on student party cruise when I was 19 and it stuck out to my mind since significantly, it was just so freaking tasty. And I actually didn't get it for years afterwards since it was quite expensive, but it still was just stuck to my brain. Now decade later it's only thing I drink at home I like still like tasting new cocktails when going to restaurants and bars, but my full bar of basic spirits at student days, is now just single 1L bottle of Hendrik's gin.
I take it your girlfriends name is Nerissa? ..and she has her name bespoke on a bottle of Hendricks gin? ..cool. But if you had to say, which gin would most resemble the actual Nerissa? Is she a Beefeater 24? ..in which case marry her quick, or is she a plymouth, in which case bring her to the STD clinic and then marry her quick, or is she a Gordans, in which case we've all enjoyed her for a while, 'til our tastes improve and we learn that there's so much better out there and we move on.. Gin equals life bro, it's a microcosm for all that we do and all that we are. Choose carefully Bobby...
Beefeater drinker myself. Gin & tonic with twist of lime. My summertime drink of choice. Now getting good tonic water to go with it was a challenge. Now, better tonics are on the market. Tanqueray I've tried and didn't care for it as much. I'll look for the Plymouth next time I'm in the ABC store.
I have started my Gin journey and I must say it has been a treat. I love it, drinking Hendricks but I agree it is expensive. Thank you for your awesome review.
Surprised you didn’t include Seagrams among your mainstream gins. It’s quit good for the money. Gin is my favorite spirit. I’ve tried Gordon’s, Beefeaters, Tanqueray, Seagram’s, Bombay, Hendricks and Aviation. I’ve not found one I hated, but Seagrams and Beefeaters are the best for the money. It takes me a while to go through a bottle, since I’m the only dedicated gin drinker I know. All my friends prefer bourbon, whisky, scotch, beer or wine, but give me a good gin any day.
I believe Seagram’s is an American brand. It may technically be London Gin but it’s not British. Quite acceptable though, with some nice botanical aromas, and towards the lower end as far as price.
My gin journey has been interesting, I first got The Botanist simply because I wanted to try a gin and I really liked the bottle, since then I've had Hard Truth Gin from Indiana, Tanquery, Bombay, then Hendrick's.
Hey Hugo! I love MM as you know but sadly it’s not available everywhere. I wanted to feature just the most common gins in this video so that it is relevant to as many people as possible 😊😊
I started out with Gordon's, thanks to you l moved up to either Tanquaray or Beefeater. Good stuff. Bombay seems a bit more chemical like, l won't buy it. Tried a local gin and tonic, didn't like it either, reminds me of Bombay. I alternate between the Tanquaray and Beefeater.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I never cared much for Beefeater. Gordon's, Tanqueray, and Bombay suit my tastes better. Beefeater tastes too orange-y for me. Thanks for all the reviews! Cheers!
Honestly, you didn't really compare them in any way that would be particularly illuminating either to a novice or experienced gin drinker. You just ranked them in order of personal favourites. You didn't do any kind of taste comparison to contrast the flavour of one against the other. You didn't mention any of the specific botanical ingredients. Did you say the word 'juniper' even once in the whole video? Aside from mentioning that Hendrick's contains cucumber, it wasn't very informative.
You are wearing red and white, then pull out that Beefeater as the perfect gin haha. You are not wrong, but it is such a coincidence, Bombay is amazing, but for a cocktail, the strong basic good gin is a higher proof cheaper good tasting Gin, and Beefeater fits that category. Hendricks, is out there, that is a different type of Gin all together and many find it off putting because they aren't used to the flavors they infuse. I would say Bombay sapphire if you want to drink neat, or a martini, then Gordons or the bottom Seagrams if you want to get wasted making gin and juice, and Beefeater or maaybe standard Bombay for a Gin and Tonic. Recently Seagrams and other brands have made a 47% abv gin to compete with the luxury brands, and are cheap and those are good for a cheap gin and tonic as well.
Hi Mate, great and informative video. I'm starting my gin journey and its nice to have this kind of information to better chose where to start. Here in Mexico there's an extremly afforable gin called Oso Negro Gin, it has a really bad reputation because of this but I dont know if its only bad yap or if its ok for the price you pay. If you ever have the chance to check it out it would be great to have the opinion of an expert. Cheers from Mexico.
Bobby, you articulated how I feel about cucumbers better than I could have. They are disgusting. Glad I'm not the only one who wants to vomit when you see a tank of drinking water "infused" with slices of floating cucumber slices.
Bombay was my 1st gin, I liked it. Next I will try beefeater and see what the hype is about. I really wanna try gunpowder but cannot get it anywhere around here.
I see Brokers on your shelf. As a long time gin drinker, where is Brokers on your scale? I haven't had it in years, but I thought it was good. Retired, and a long-time gin drinker, I'm with you that Beefeater is the best (even after they lowered the alc content in the US). It's one of the few that I enjoy neat. I prefer a good (juniper) London Dry, with a good tonic (not a HFCS supermarket tonic), and a lemon wedge (not a bloody lime). I hate fruit, veggie, candy flavored and celebrity gins, which seem to be popular with younger folks. I do disagree with you on Gordons. In a G&T, with HFCS tonic, Gordons is far better than other low price brands. I used to keep a fifth bottle of Beefeaters filled with Gordons, in my fridge for guests, and no one ever knew the difference.
Gordon's, as you say is not a great gin and in the US it comes in a clear bottle and is pretty cheap. When Plymouth first came to the US, it was about 38 proof. I loved it for the low ABV but they (in this country) upped it to 86 to pease the US market. In the US, we have recently experienced a tax driven revolution creating many great local distillers. I have one in Newark, NJ call All points West that does several (catHouse, Pink Pepper) that are fantastic. I do agree with you on the quality and taste of the Hendricks despite your aversion to cucumbers.. My gin of preference is Bombay Saphire because I mostly drink it in martinis. Thjere is a PA (philadelphia) distiler that make a berand called Blue Coat which is not to pricey and the only one I would drink neet or with a good (Fever Tree?) tonic
Bobby, love your show, but a question - you dislike Gordon's a fair bit but you have a fair few of their different (and not so bad, although don't mention lemon) varieties on your shelf. With all the other wonderful gins you've reviewed, would you consider swapping some of those ones out? Shame to see Nordes and Monkey 47 hidden away...
Good point Tony. I like to give a diverse view of what is in offer, good and bad, on my shelves. I agree about Nordes and Monkey but I finished both of them long ago! 😊😊
@@nononsensegindrinking5152 aha! That's fair! I'll be keeping my eye on seeing if you've finished that London No.3 or it might make small appearance on your shelf before it's finito! Aha.
Drinking Gin and Tonic for 50 plus years and tried most . All the new and flavored I just come back to Gordon's. I like the balance and mildness of the Juniper content and find it refreshing rather than heavy.
Interesting. But it seems, and rightly so as it's your blog, that this is personal preference. I have not tasted the cheapest one you have there, the Gordons. However, I like Bombay, Tanqueray, and the Plymouth. Have all 3 in my bar. I don't really care for the Hendricks, and you may have shown why. Cucumbers belong in a salad.....maybe. Have not tried Beefeaters, yet. But some insight on your part as to what is in the gins in the way of botanicals would be real helpful! I have tastes some gins that taste like pinesol smells, and that's a cleaning agent for bathrooms! ;) But very entertaining! :)
Once bought a bottle of Jenever, which is a sort of proto-gin made in Holland, the original from which the Brits produced the famous London Dry. It’s searingly dry and almost undrinkable without plenty of mixers. Clearly an acquired taste. Any opinions?
Just recently tried Plymouth, and I must admit out of those mainstream gins, it's my favourite, seems pretty smooth neat, or with tonic. Not as harsh as Gordons. Although can't say I have ried Hendrick's, Beefeater a while ago, and as you mentioned taste changes, so may give it another go. Also jsut got Jame's Asian parsnip, and I'm lovin it. Not sure if I want to try others, although you have made me curios about American mustard, so probably will get that as well. Oh and while we are on gin topic, I was really disappointed with Italian Engine Oil gin, as much as that bottle/jerry can is cool, gin itself isn't great.
I love cucumbers but Hendricks tasted like cedar wood to me, awful. Cucumbers in a salad, yes. Beefeater is the gold standard of London dry gins. Tanqueray a good alt to Beefeater. Gordon's a party mixer gin. Bombay marketing wank. Plymouth I have yet to try.
Gordon’s: not good Bombay: not good straight, g&t not bad to good Plymouth: straight is as expected, g&t is great Plymouth navy strength: good straight, g&t is great Hendrick’s: overrated (unless matched with a cucumber tonic) Tanquary: great gin, g&t is great Beefeater is a a borderline good gin, but overpowered in most cocktails/g&t. Great value, though Not mentioned: (these are common in Japan) Gilbey’s: almost as good as Tanquary, half the price Wilkinson’s: tad less than Gilbey’s in flavor & quality, tad more expensive.
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Loving on Aviation and Botanist this summer, straight over rocks. Hendricks & tonic w/cucumber & cracked black pepper is the bomb. Tanqueray is classic.
YEEESSSS to Hendricks with a cucumber and a little cracked pepper.
Try a pink peppercorn blend if you can.
cracked black pepper, are you serious, that sounds fantastic, gonna try it this weekend
I will definitely try this, Hendricks is a different sort of gin not like the others, but you saying black pepper added, I am VERY curious like wtf is going to happen here, and now want to try that. Spices are something I never even considered adding to a drink unless it called for it. I am almost giddy, like "give me pepper" because I have never been put off by something with some hot spice to it. Too much salt or sugar yes, but not a tingly pepper like spice
Tanquray is my favourite! Absolutely love the stuff
I'm a cocktail bartender, so beafeater works well with sippers, but if you throw it in a shaker drinks it will disappear. Gordon's strong body, however, help the gin remaining after I shake them all up.
I've always been a Tanqueray girl, but lately I've been trying others. I skipped Beefeater because of the low price. I did try Gordon's and ew. OK. Now I'll reach for the Beefeater. You have made me brave.
Gordons gin is my favorite mainstream gin I started drinking gin from the gordons level and went far up to the top as Monkey 47 or Tanqueray 10, but personally gordons is just pure standards for me ... Love it
Me, too. Gordons is very straight forward. I’ll also add Seagrams to that category.
I keep the bombay for when I have friends over who want a gin and tonic or if I don't want to drink my good stuff that night. Still better the tanqueray in my opinion though.
I have been drinking Beefeater since the '70s. Sometimes with Schweppes tonic water, sometimes with 7UP.
Beefeater - a lesson in don't judge alcohol by the price. One of the cheapest available to me and I'm glad it is. I started with Bombay and I agree it's strong. My wife said it tasted like cough syrup. She's not into alcohol, but that's almost spot on. Chemicalish in flavor. Not bad, just not worth the price.
Bombay Sapphire = mouthwash.
I know a tequila that is likewise excellent but low in price. It's my favorite now. Can't wait to try Beefeaters now.
@@wadepatton2433
What tequila?
@@deanfinch9750 Espolon Blanco. I prefer Blanco in most, but not all Tequilas. The Reposado is not bad at all, and it what is convinced me to try the Blanco.
Hey and Correlejo ain't bad either, but it's a bit more than Espolon. I did prefer their Reposado to the Blanco, and went through a few bottles of it before finding Espolon.
I love my Tanqueray and tonic!
hendricks has to be one of my favorites
I did not ask for a lecture. I would like a list of gin, Bandy & wine . This babbling idiot has rattled my Brain , why is he shouting !!
I used to love Hendricks but find me going back to old tanqueray for martinis.
I’m a Beefeater guy. My first gin was Tanqueray, and I found it a wee bit harsh.
My first gin experience was when I was at a friend, who had a "blue" gin bottle at home, and I am pretty certain it was the Bombay Sapphire (obviously ^^). I was so disappointed that I thought to myself "If this is what gin tastes like, I guess it's absolutely not my cup of tea..." As you so aptly describe it, the flavour was harsh and chemical like. Ironically, a few years later when I started getting interested in mixology and started making martinis, I actually bought Beefeater because of the low price and I was like "Oh well, I guess I am just gonna give it a go", and I was utterly baffled how well it tasted and I was like "What was that "blue garbage" I tasted all those years ago?" The balance, the smoothness and the richness of Beefeater just made me fall in love with gin. Thank you for this enlightening video!
You’re very welcome David! Glad you enjoyed it ! 😊
Only God knows how the Beefeater’s so cheap. Fortunately for me, Beefeater’s been my first experience with a gin and that too in my country, it’s available at 47 percent and it’s taste is just wow! So lucky that I purchased this instead of Bombay Sappire as it was cheaper😅(although by just ₹300/$4)
I love Hendricks and beefeater tastes like nail polish to me. I guess everyone had their preferences :p
yea I have similar preference as well, I thought I was the outlier haha
Nail polish tastes comes from a very strong Juniper influence. If you're sensitive to that you'll often feel that way. I find that cucumber balances that out a bit, so it's understandable that you prefer the Hendricks then. :) I like cucumber in my Gin Tonic also :) I'll try them both anyway.
@@LeutnantJoker I just got bottle of beefeater, it’s better than I remembered. I think the bartender from way back when I started drinking gin did me wrong. Lol 😂
I don’t mind it at all now, just a very honest bottle of London dry haha 👍🏻
Beefeater is the vanilla ice cream of the gins. But Plymonth is by far the best on the listm have so much soul!
For any new Gin drinkers watching, regular (red label?) Bombay is MUCH better than sapphire. It's got a more "spicy" like black pepper taste, where as the sapphire has a weird flowery kind of taste. Don't be tempted by the pretty blue bottle lol
Bombay red label is much better ! Bombay sapphire is the worst Gin ever!
Too late, I bought it because of the bottle
Thanks for this little tip! Here the Sapphire is found in every store whereas only one place has the Bombay Red label which is ironically cheaper too. I honestly thought the fancy blue bottle meant higher quality. (completely new to gin)
@@lars2894I think all gin drinkers have fallen into the sapphire trap at some point haha happy to help! I actually like Seagrams for everyday nothing fancy drinking... Happy drinking!
Bombay is such a beautiful lady in blue and I am physically attracted to it that is until you went into the room. As they say, nice to see, does not mean it is delicious.
Interesting. To be honest I find gordon's, bombay, and beefeater interchangeable for London drys and normally just grab whatever's on sale/cheapest. However that's with the caveat that I exclusively buy gin for mixing and am really only looking for a robust juniper flavour most of the time. I'm sure if I did a G&T or martini flight I could identify differences and preferences.
I've never tried Playmouth but in my book Bombay and Tanqueray are my top 2 keeping in mind value for money. I really love the specific taste of Bombay which you hated 😁
I like bombay too. Little sprite with it 😋
I'm ashamed to say that my gin journey began with Gilbey's around 1975. It wasn't until I tried Bombay, not the Saffire, a few years later that I realized that gin can be good and that the tonics make a huge difference as well. Thanks Bobby!
You’re welcome Michael! 👍
My first gin was Roku(didn't really fancy it), then Plymouth (absolutely love it. It's a proper gin with very noticeable citrus flavour). Then I went with Beefeater and I was disappointed. Was better than Roku, but I didn't like it that much(Beefeater 24 was absolutely amazing). Tanqueray is my current favourite/go-to gin. It's just my personal opinion.
You didn't like roku? Damn
@Werewolf O. London, Esq. I tried roku last week, it's amazing, honestly give it a try !
Yup. My intro was via Tanqueray and then I went off on a hunt. Tried several. Definitely not a fan of Beefeater and was fooled by the "blue" bottle for a while and have settled with joy into a good ole Tanqueray fave
Love Roku! It’s what converted into liking gins/ giving gin a chance. Aviation is also good. And I wasn’t a fan of sapphire. Usually drink tanqeueray in LIIT’s but passed on drinking it neat or in a gin forward cocktail.
Great video for a brand new Gin enthusiast! Was turned onto your channel from a fellow Scotch compadre over at Scotch 4 Dummies. The Vesper Martini is what made me start down the rabbit hole of Gin! And when made with Aviation Gin versus Seagrams, eye opening! Just picked up a Hendricks Flora and it is so different, in a good way! Also have the standard Bombay, and it is doing well in the Vesper. Will be catching up on all your content! Cheers!🥃
Thanks for your message Bobby and welcome to my channel! Glad to have you on board my friend 😊
Hard to take this guy's taste seriously when he says he doesn't like cucumbers.
Sorry, love Hendricks! Cucumber is a great botanical and great garnish in Hendricks Martini.
I'm going to be honest, I'm not the biggest gin fan, but I just discovered your channel and I love every aspect about it
I love gin but gin is actually very unpopular. I personally don’t know anyone who drinks it. I’m the only person I know who actually drinks it
For Gin and Tonic, Gordan's is good enough.
Out of those my favourite is Plymouth, I just find it to be smoother and good use in a lot of cocktails.
it is dry gin?
@@TKLau1990 It's its own style of gin.
@@ChaingunCassidy what brand u suggest
@@TKLau1990 Plymouth is the brand.
@@ChaingunCassidy wow
Tanqueray guy here! Best out of that lot! Citadelle French gin is great too!
i started gin with gordon's initially, but then i tasted bombay saphire and absolutly loved it and still do. Its actually my favourite. lots of botanicals, lots of different tates that work perfectly for me.
For me gin is all about botanicals and citrics so maybe thats why i love it so much.
great video tho
the rest of the gins i somewhat agree with your opinion
and most of all 100% agree with you when u say gin is a super personal taste
Thank for your lovely message Rickmon 😊
I used to love Tanqueray, but after tasting the Beefeater I fell in love with it.
Beefeater is the same or better but much cheaper
Of all those on the table and I really like Hendricks I would put beefeater at the top as well. I got a bottle of Tanqueray the other day and I don't care for it.
After trying all the gins, I keep returning to the classic flavour of Gordon’s, so much juniper. I totally disagree with you.
Gin is in a way the most exiting drink to mix with. THere's ONE longdrink... a gin and tonic... and pretty much every bartender in the whole world has their own version of it or is still trying to find the perfect one. There's tons of tonic variants and even more gins. It's such a wide field of notes and tastes it's something for everyone and fun to explore. And I think that puts gin apart from a lot of other spirits. Those don't all taste the same either, sure, but gin has the widest variety I think. And with the different tonic combinations you have so many permutations you can experiment for the rest of your life and never taste them all.
Congratulations on your sincerity, I was in Bombay because it's flashy, here in Brazil the evaluators lie, I was in beautiful blue but I'm in the top 1
Bombay Sapphire Gin is my favorite, followed by the newer Aviation Gin
much thanks to ol' freeman who keeps it informative and sexy always. as someone who sells and recommends gin this type of video is awesome.
Kudos for your honesty. 👏🏻
Agree about Bombay Sapphire being chemically in taste!
I would say though, Gordon's makes a great dirty martini!
It's funny, i started at Beefeater and recently revisited and found it lacking for some reason. Interesting!
Love me some The Botanist straight on ice. Tasty!
You have got to try Junipero Gin out of San Francisco. About 99 proof, affordable and tasty! Also, I got Aviation Old Tom; it's just "okay" to me, too expensive, not sweet enough and a bit funky.
Regarding the video: Oddly, thanks to mini bottles, I've tried every gin here except Beefeaters. I can't find a mini anywhere. I should just buy a whole bottle but London Drys just aren't my favorite. Everytime I go to get a new gin I wind up spending money on an American or Old Tom.
I like Junipero as well. Seems like sometimes I can find it for under $30.
Spot on and cheers from California, USA! Who indeed would want to add cucumber to anything?!?! That's just absurd....
Just a side note, you might include the fact that Plymouth (my favorite among the bunch) was once the official gin of the Royal Navy, just to add some coolness to the equation....
Take care!
Hi Dave,
Glad you agree with me about the cucumber! 🤢
Yes, I actually talk about Plymouth gin being the choice for the Royal Navy in my Plymouth navy strength review.
👍👍😊😊
I was turned off by gin for decades. My dad drank Gordon’s . Chewing on a tree would be more pleasant
Your assessment is very accurate. I started getting into gin recently and just kept asking for Bombay at the bar. When I tried tanquery my life was changed.
Another vote here for Tanqueray. Cheers
Im drinking Hendricks
Ok but only a few months ago I tasted Broker’s....
And why was my mind freaking BLOWN????
I like Hendricks but it’s not for everything....
If one hates cucumber it’s not for you, and I quite like it with an extra dry martini but with a cucumber instead of an olive or twist.
I LOVE beefeater! So I agree with you there! The go to if you’re going somewhere and you can rely on them having it....
But why is broker’s soooo outrageously well balanced, strong, smooth, AND comes with a cute little hat?
Interestingly, Bombay Sapphire was my first gin. I thought it was great because it tasted like pine trees!
Now I mostly drink Brokers and a local brand called Dented Brick, and I'm much happier.
A lot of people start off with Bombay Brianna. It was y second one but then I moved on to better things just as you did 😊👍
@@nononsensegindrinking5152 I just bought my first bottle of gin, a little too early it seems. I went with the Bombay Sapphire as well and the smell reminds me of that old piney aftershave (very much chemically)
Need to try Beefeater. My current favorite is Botanist. Out of your selection I would go with Hendricks.
Response from the USA: I have pretty much only drank gin with tonic water and am brand new to drinking gin straight. I overcame my hesitation and have just now finished my second shot of 80-proof (40%) Gordon's gin. I was surprised to find that it tastes so good (slightly sweet with juniper up front and licorice in the aftertaste). I am willing to try your suggested Plymouth gin. You had me laughing with your critique of Hendricks gin: "It contains cucumber, which I think is vile! That is where madness lies." I was really surprised when you picked Beefeater as your favorite gin. You were ecstatic while you were describing it. I will pick up a bottle and try it out. Thanks for the suggestion.
One I’m enjoying right now is the Botanist.
I started my gin journey with Beefeater. It's still in my bar. Dependable. Solid.
Woohoo just picked up a bottle of beefeater and it was the cheapest of all of them.
Just made myself a dirty martini with it:) great honest review 👌 i agree with you!
Aways enjoy hearing your opinion and I always keep a bottle of Beefeaters in my home bar.
As much as I like your channel, I think that your shirt is a subliminal message for people to drink Beefeater. I don’t mind it because I love that gin. However, it does make me wonder. Cheers from the other side of the pond.
😂😂😂
Great review of the popular ones. I mostly agree. ;)
Thanks Stephane! 😊😊
They put cucumber also in tonic water so people seem to like it. And I have to say I like it too. In fact I one drank a nice cooled cucumber juice in a, I believe indonesian student bar. It actually tastes surprisingly great. I think it works great with gin. But hey.. there's people who like licorice and I can't stand the stuff :D But I'll give Hendricks a try for sure :) I liked the cucumber tonic water. I feel it balances out the Juniper a little bit.
I would never eat cucumbers on their own but I personally LOVED it in the gin. It really helped smooth some edges and with that rose water it makes for one of the easiest sipping gins I have had. Definitely one of my favorites.
One of the reasons I like gin and bourbon. You can get excellent bottles for budget prices. Try that with wine or scotch.
I’m a bit of a bourbon snob myself, but Larceny, old grand dad’s 114 and Jim Beam devils cut are decent bottles for the cost. Larceny and 114 more so.
I have loved gin since I was student, gin and tonic was my go to at club or at any kind of home party. Beefeater during those days was my go to as it was relatively cheap and tasty. But I had one Hendrik's cucumber gin and tonic on student party cruise when I was 19 and it stuck out to my mind since significantly, it was just so freaking tasty. And I actually didn't get it for years afterwards since it was quite expensive, but it still was just stuck to my brain. Now decade later it's only thing I drink at home
I like still like tasting new cocktails when going to restaurants and bars, but my full bar of basic spirits at student days, is now just single 1L bottle of Hendrik's gin.
I take it your girlfriends name is Nerissa? ..and she has her name bespoke on a bottle of Hendricks gin? ..cool. But if you had to say, which gin would most resemble the actual Nerissa? Is she a Beefeater 24? ..in which case marry her quick, or is she a plymouth, in which case bring her to the STD clinic and then marry her quick, or is she a Gordans, in which case we've all enjoyed her for a while, 'til our tastes improve and we learn that there's so much better out there and we move on.. Gin equals life bro, it's a microcosm for all that we do and all that we are. Choose carefully Bobby...
😂
Hey John
I’d say she more of a tanqueray 10. Elegant, sophisticated and worth every penny I spend on her. 😊😊
Used to drink Booths, don't make it anymore.
Beefeater drinker myself. Gin & tonic with twist of lime. My summertime drink of choice. Now getting good tonic water to go with it was a challenge. Now, better tonics are on the market. Tanqueray I've tried and didn't care for it as much. I'll look for the Plymouth next time I'm in the ABC store.
I have started my Gin journey and I must say it has been a treat. I love it, drinking Hendricks but I agree it is expensive. Thank you for your awesome review.
Gordon's 10-13€
bombay 13-15€
Plymouth 22-24
tanqueray 11-15€
Beefeater 14-18€
Hendricks 30-35€
(prices in Italy -mainstream market chains and amazon)
spot on review!
Gordon's and Beefeater have always been a mainstay in the corner bar in the US. Then Tanqueray had their big sales push in the early 2000s.
Gordon's is about $14 (Total Wine and Costco) for a 1.75 liter bottle in the States. When Snoop refers to gin and juice: It's Gordon's.
Beefeater is excellent, its smooth, good amount of sweetness, balanced and dry. Makes a great g&t as well as sippin neat
Surprised you didn’t include Seagrams among your mainstream gins. It’s quit good for the money. Gin is my favorite spirit. I’ve tried Gordon’s, Beefeaters, Tanqueray, Seagram’s, Bombay, Hendricks and Aviation. I’ve not found one I hated, but Seagrams and Beefeaters are the best for the money. It takes me a while to go through a bottle, since I’m the only dedicated gin drinker I know. All my friends prefer bourbon, whisky, scotch, beer or wine, but give me a good gin any day.
I believe Seagram’s is an American brand. It may technically be London Gin but it’s not British.
Quite acceptable though, with some nice botanical aromas, and towards the lower end as far as price.
My gin journey has been interesting, I first got The Botanist simply because I wanted to try a gin and I really liked the bottle, since then I've had Hard Truth Gin from Indiana, Tanquery, Bombay, then Hendrick's.
my old Martin Miller’s is forgotten! I didn’t see it anywhere in you setup Bobby!!! How dare you!! Lol 😂 just kidding. Stay safe and complement
Isn’t it on the bottom shelf to his left. MM Is one of my favorites if not the favorite. I’m enjoying Aviation neat too.
Hey Hugo!
I love MM as you know but sadly it’s not available everywhere. I wanted to feature just the most common gins in this video so that it is relevant to as many people as possible 😊😊
Katz Steel
That’s actually Downtown Abbey gin! 😊😊
I love the MM Westbourne Strength. I’ve never seen the original in a shop anywhere.
I started out with Gordon's, thanks to you l moved up to either Tanquaray or Beefeater. Good stuff. Bombay seems a bit more chemical like, l won't buy it. Tried a local gin and tonic, didn't like it either, reminds me of Bombay. I alternate between the Tanquaray and Beefeater.
I hate because of your opinions on Bombay Sapphire
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I never cared much for Beefeater. Gordon's, Tanqueray, and Bombay suit my tastes better. Beefeater tastes too orange-y for me. Thanks for all the reviews! Cheers!
For me in this order for me SEAGRAMS, TANQUERAY, BEEFEATER then I’ll taste around there.
Entertaining dude but I stopped caring at "cucumber is disgusting"...
I don’t think we will ever agree on that one Dimitar! 😂😂
@@nononsensegindrinking5152 At least we can agree on the entertainment part! 😄
@@dimitarapostolov9788
Definitely! 😂👍
Honestly, you didn't really compare them in any way that would be particularly illuminating either to a novice or experienced gin drinker. You just ranked them in order of personal favourites. You didn't do any kind of taste comparison to contrast the flavour of one against the other. You didn't mention any of the specific botanical ingredients. Did you say the word 'juniper' even once in the whole video? Aside from mentioning that Hendrick's contains cucumber, it wasn't very informative.
I agree. As much as I love hearing someone praise beefeater. this video here, give em a miss.
Nice dude. The Jimmy Somerville of the Gin-world, I imagine.
You are wearing red and white, then pull out that Beefeater as the perfect gin haha. You are not wrong, but it is such a coincidence, Bombay is amazing, but for a cocktail, the strong basic good gin is a higher proof cheaper good tasting Gin, and Beefeater fits that category.
Hendricks, is out there, that is a different type of Gin all together and many find it off putting because they aren't used to the flavors they infuse.
I would say Bombay sapphire if you want to drink neat, or a martini, then Gordons or the bottom Seagrams if you want to get wasted making gin and juice, and Beefeater or maaybe standard Bombay for a Gin and Tonic. Recently Seagrams and other brands have made a 47% abv gin to compete with the luxury brands, and are cheap and those are good for a cheap gin and tonic as well.
Olives and gin. Beginnings of a masterpiece!
Hi Mate, great and informative video. I'm starting my gin journey and its nice to have this kind of information to better chose where to start. Here in Mexico there's an extremly afforable gin called Oso Negro Gin, it has a really bad reputation because of this but I dont know if its only bad yap or if its ok for the price you pay. If you ever have the chance to check it out it would be great to have the opinion of an expert. Cheers from Mexico.
Thanks Edoardo, and welcome to my channel. This one sounds very interesting and I will certainly check it out. 👍
Bobby, you articulated how I feel about cucumbers better than I could have. They are disgusting. Glad I'm not the only one who wants to vomit when you see a tank of drinking water "infused" with slices of floating cucumber slices.
Glad you agree Dan! 🥒 🤮
Bombay was my 1st gin, I liked it. Next I will try beefeater and see what the hype is about.
I really wanna try gunpowder but cannot get it anywhere around here.
I see Brokers on your shelf. As a long time gin drinker, where is Brokers on your scale? I haven't had it in years, but I thought it was good. Retired, and a long-time gin drinker, I'm with you that Beefeater is the best (even after they lowered the alc content in the US). It's one of the few that I enjoy neat. I prefer a good (juniper) London Dry, with a good tonic (not a HFCS supermarket tonic), and a lemon wedge (not a bloody lime). I hate fruit, veggie, candy flavored and celebrity gins, which seem to be popular with younger folks. I do disagree with you on Gordons. In a G&T, with HFCS tonic, Gordons is far better than other low price brands. I used to keep a fifth bottle of Beefeaters filled with Gordons, in my fridge for guests, and no one ever knew the difference.
I'v heard thats not true with wine, The most expensive are not always the best either.
Beefeater is so underrated her in Oz because it's so cheap. One of my favourites.
Gordon's, as you say is not a great gin and in the US it comes in a clear bottle and is pretty cheap. When Plymouth first came to the US, it was about 38 proof. I loved it for the low ABV but they (in this country) upped it to 86 to pease the US market. In the US, we have recently experienced a tax driven revolution creating many great local distillers. I have one in Newark, NJ call All points West that does several (catHouse, Pink Pepper) that are fantastic. I do agree with you on the quality and taste of the Hendricks despite your aversion to cucumbers.. My gin of preference is Bombay Saphire because I mostly drink it in martinis. Thjere is a PA (philadelphia) distiler that make a berand called Blue Coat which is not to pricey and the only one I would drink neet or with a good (Fever Tree?) tonic
I like Beefeaters with a twist of lime, with or without ice.
So sue me, I like a swig of Aristocrat from time to time.
My favorites are Conniption Navy Strength and Corgi Earl Gray.
I love hendricks but they’re hella expensive in my country, BOMBAY SUCKS so I guess I’ll try Tanqueray
Sounds like a good plan colonel! 👍
I've had Gordon's.... it's disgusting compared to other gins I've tried. It smells like rubbing alcohol and not botanical at all.
Bobby, love your show, but a question - you dislike Gordon's a fair bit but you have a fair few of their different (and not so bad, although don't mention lemon) varieties on your shelf. With all the other wonderful gins you've reviewed, would you consider swapping some of those ones out? Shame to see Nordes and Monkey 47 hidden away...
Good point Tony. I like to give a diverse view of what is in offer, good and bad, on my shelves. I agree about Nordes and Monkey but I finished both of them long ago! 😊😊
@@nononsensegindrinking5152 aha! That's fair! I'll be keeping my eye on seeing if you've finished that London No.3 or it might make small appearance on your shelf before it's finito! Aha.
Tony Overy
That one is is the house at the moment so I can get easy access! 👍👍😃😃
wow! great video
Drinking Gin and Tonic for 50 plus years and tried most . All the new and flavored I just come back to Gordon's. I like the balance and mildness of the Juniper content and find it refreshing rather than heavy.
bloody great job!!
Well said! 😊😊
You can trust the man hundred percent
Gordans is ok with decent tonic and a drop of elder flower cordial
Interesting. But it seems, and rightly so as it's your blog, that this is personal preference. I have not tasted the cheapest one you have there, the Gordons. However, I like Bombay, Tanqueray, and the Plymouth. Have all 3 in my bar. I don't really care for the Hendricks, and you may have shown why. Cucumbers belong in a salad.....maybe. Have not tried Beefeaters, yet. But some insight on your part as to what is in the gins in the way of botanicals would be real helpful! I have tastes some gins that taste like pinesol smells, and that's a cleaning agent for bathrooms! ;) But very entertaining! :)
yeah the blue bottle looks the coolest but i dont like unless i can mask the taste . gives a clean drunk feeling though
The only thing I see in this video. 👽👽👽
Once bought a bottle of Jenever, which is a sort of proto-gin made in Holland, the original from which the Brits produced the famous London Dry. It’s searingly dry and almost undrinkable without plenty of mixers. Clearly an acquired taste. Any opinions?
Bombay tastes like rubbing alcohol. Horrible. No idea where that price comes from, and why on earth someone would drink it twice
Just recently tried Plymouth, and I must admit out of those mainstream gins, it's my favourite, seems pretty smooth neat, or with tonic. Not as harsh as Gordons. Although can't say I have ried Hendrick's, Beefeater a while ago, and as you mentioned taste changes, so may give it another go. Also jsut got Jame's Asian parsnip, and I'm lovin it. Not sure if I want to try others, although you have made me curios about American mustard, so probably will get that as well. Oh and while we are on gin topic, I was really disappointed with Italian Engine Oil gin, as much as that bottle/jerry can is cool, gin itself isn't great.
Have you ever tried Stretton's from South Africa?
Hi Lunga
I haven’t yet but I about to review an African gin that is made from Elephant poo! 🐘 💩
I love cucumbers but Hendricks tasted like cedar wood to me, awful. Cucumbers in a salad, yes.
Beefeater is the gold standard of London dry gins.
Tanqueray a good alt to Beefeater.
Gordon's a party mixer gin.
Bombay marketing wank.
Plymouth I have yet to try.
Gordon’s: not good
Bombay: not good straight, g&t not bad to good
Plymouth: straight is as expected, g&t is great
Plymouth navy strength: good straight, g&t is great
Hendrick’s: overrated (unless matched with a cucumber tonic)
Tanquary: great gin, g&t is great
Beefeater is a a borderline good gin, but overpowered in most cocktails/g&t. Great value, though
Not mentioned: (these are common in Japan)
Gilbey’s: almost as good as Tanquary, half the price
Wilkinson’s: tad less than Gilbey’s in flavor & quality, tad more expensive.