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.
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.
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.
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)
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.
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.
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 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.
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 😁
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!🥃
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.
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.
Was scrolling thru gins & was disappointed not seeing 2 of my favorites: beefeaters & tangurey. Perfect! Was gonna try Bombay Sapphire. Thanks for the tip.
I like Bombay more than Beefeater, but Beefeater is better in cocktails (less cost, less amount, stronger presence) but raw or with ice I would drink Bombay. Recently I bought dry Monkey 47.. will give it a try
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!
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 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
For your consideration: Hayman's "Old Tom" gin and Koval Cranberry-infused gin. Two of my favorites. But, my "go to' for a G&T is Bobmay Sapphire or Tanqueray. Tanqueray also makes a Sevilla Orange that is refreshing.
Ok, so I come from Gin that makes Gordon's look expensive. We are talking cheapest in the store, usually mixed with orange juice with the goal of getting drunk quick. I recently got back into cocktails, and after burning through my usual tiki drinks, I started doing gin cocktails, with a $9 bottle of Bartons. Today, I went out to get some decent gin to work with, and I made the Bombay mistake. I bought Bombay Sapphire and Taqueray. And much like your Bombay review, I was immediately underwhelmed with it. It holds its own in a gin and tonic, so I'll drink it up, but the next bottle I add will be Beefeater. Thanks for the regular guy video! I've discovered I love gin and I look forward to trying better ones!
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 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.
Hi Bobby, Another interesting , well presented video. I probably would have included several different gins but that is all down to my own preference, Keep Smiling, Graham.
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 👍🏻
Great video Bobby! You know I agree with your assessment. Beefeater is the best, hands down! I disagree with you on Hendrick's though. I actually love the stuff. Stay safe and keep drinking the gin!
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 tanqueray. Over here in the Netherlands it's usually on sale for something ridiculous like 14 euro? Personally i like it more than Beefeater, but i haven't had them side by side and i'm really a whisky drinker mainly, so, grain of salt.
Thanks so much for this video. My gin journey is just beginning. I've been slowly getting into gin because I too cannot abide the taste of cucumber, and I was extremely leery of possibly buying some gin and having it taste of cucumber. Literally, the day before I watched this video, I had a bottle of Hendricks in my hand at the store. And put it back.
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.
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.
Thank you for all of your reviews, they're the main staple of my gin knowledge & had certainly helped me from wasting money since gin & all high alcohol drinks are very expensive here in Jakarta. Thank you!
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.
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! :)
Gordon's works great if you want something with enough of a juniper kick to stand up to an infusion or a shaken cocktail. I love a good Mar-tea-ni and always like to keep a bit of English Breakfast tea infused Gordon's in a jar.
Bobby,I must say that this video is 100% spot on,as I am having a Tanqueray and tonic right now,just asking where is that bottle of # 3?,cheers. btw,when are we going to see a pic of you and Nerissa?
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.
Got turned off of gin years ago from a godawful bottle. Recently gave tanqueray a try and it became one of my favorites. Beefeater's next on my list to try
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!
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?
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.
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. 👍👍😊😊
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.
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)
My first gin was Seager's and man, if you think Gordon's is bad you haven't seager's yet, and keep that way . Because of this fellow I thought for years I don't like gin. Till this last new year's event that my sister in law gave us a tanqueray bottle and man , my life has changed since than. Today my favorite drink is gin! I've tried some mainstream gins, some small batches and the world just is better heheh.
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.
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.
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!
Great overview, and my gin tasting experience exactly matches yours. Would that all products were like Beefeater's: a great product and a great value. And yes, cucumbers -- yuck.
A friend of mine, who was a cocktail bartender once told me to avoid Bombay Sapphire. She said that it was all marketing and the bottle was designed long before the recipe was finalised
Bombay sapphire is not named after city of Bombay and they are not trying to say it's made in Bombay. It's named after Star of Bombay sapphire currently with UK
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?
Nice video. Generally on the same page, but probably don’t see beefeater quite so far in front. Tanquery is usually my standard all rounder, but definitely Like the juniper hut of beefeater too. Bombay is way over rated and overpriced. I’ve always thought it’s gin for people that don’t like gin. Having said that I do their East version. Interestingly I really don’t care for the beefeater 24, but really rate the tanquery 10. For my home bar, I’d usually have a Tanquery, a nice London (sip smith or Martin miller’s ) a US (Aviation, Prairie) and living in Australia, 2 or 3 locals. I love trying new gins as it’s such an expression of the local flora.
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.
Tanquray is my favourite! Absolutely love the stuff
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
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.
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 have been drinking Beefeater since the '70s. Sometimes with Schweppes tonic water, sometimes with 7UP.
How old are you 😮?
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.
I love my Tanqueray and tonic!
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)
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
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
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.
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’m a Beefeater guy. My first gin was Tanqueray, and I found it a wee bit harsh.
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.
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
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 😋
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.
Tanqueray guy here! Best out of that lot! Citadelle French gin is great too!
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.
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.
Aways enjoy hearing your opinion and I always keep a bottle of Beefeaters in my home bar.
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.
yeah the blue bottle looks the coolest but i dont like unless i can mask the taste . gives a clean drunk feeling though
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.
Need to try Beefeater. My current favorite is Botanist. Out of your selection I would go with Hendricks.
Love this channel!
Thanks Lil Noobie! I love it too!! 😊
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 😊
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.
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.
Was scrolling thru gins & was disappointed not seeing 2 of my favorites: beefeaters & tangurey. Perfect! Was gonna try Bombay Sapphire. Thanks for the tip.
I like Bombay more than Beefeater, but Beefeater is better in cocktails (less cost, less amount, stronger presence) but raw or with ice I would drink Bombay. Recently I bought dry Monkey 47.. will give it a try
Beefeater is the vanilla ice cream of the gins. But Plymonth is by far the best on the listm have so much soul!
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! 👍
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
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 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 😊
First gin I tried was bombay sapphire and I thought it was amazing. I made an Eifel 75 drink and was hooked. I cant wait to try another flavour.
For your consideration: Hayman's "Old Tom" gin and Koval Cranberry-infused gin. Two of my favorites. But, my "go to' for a G&T is Bobmay Sapphire or Tanqueray. Tanqueray also makes a Sevilla Orange that is refreshing.
Ok, so I come from Gin that makes Gordon's look expensive. We are talking cheapest in the store, usually mixed with orange juice with the goal of getting drunk quick. I recently got back into cocktails, and after burning through my usual tiki drinks, I started doing gin cocktails, with a $9 bottle of Bartons. Today, I went out to get some decent gin to work with, and I made the Bombay mistake. I bought Bombay Sapphire and Taqueray. And much like your Bombay review, I was immediately underwhelmed with it. It holds its own in a gin and tonic, so I'll drink it up, but the next bottle I add will be Beefeater. Thanks for the regular guy video! I've discovered I love gin and I look forward to trying better ones!
Great to hear it Chris! Very glad to have you as one of my loyal viewers 😊
@@nononsensegindrinking5152 by the way, cracked open the Taqueray last night. Oh my god what a difference!!!
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 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.
Hi Bobby,
Another interesting , well presented video. I probably would have included several different gins but that is all down to my own preference,
Keep Smiling,
Graham.
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.
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 👍🏻
Exactly what I was looking for!
Great video Bobby! You know I agree with your assessment. Beefeater is the best, hands down! I disagree with you on Hendrick's though. I actually love the stuff. Stay safe and keep drinking the gin!
Yes, we differ on the old Hendricks Gene! I think it’s our only gin that you and I don’t agree on! 😊
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 tanqueray. Over here in the Netherlands it's usually on sale for something ridiculous like 14 euro? Personally i like it more than Beefeater, but i haven't had them side by side and i'm really a whisky drinker mainly, so, grain of salt.
Thanks so much for this video. My gin journey is just beginning. I've been slowly getting into gin because I too cannot abide the taste of cucumber, and I was extremely leery of possibly buying some gin and having it taste of cucumber. Literally, the day before I watched this video, I had a bottle of Hendricks in my hand at the store. And put it back.
Wow! That was a close call Kirk! Glad my video was useful for you! 👍👍😊
My top gin, of my collection of about 12 kinds is The Botanist. Mixed with Fever Tree tonic water makes the best gin & tonic.
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.
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. 👍
My favorite is Bombay Berry Bramble but have never tried Beefeater, I have tried all others except Plymouth
I'm currently in love with Sapphire mixed with Cranberry or Pineapple juice
For Gin and Tonic, Gordan's is good enough.
Amen
Thank you for all of your reviews, they're the main staple of my gin knowledge & had certainly helped me from wasting money since gin & all high alcohol drinks are very expensive here in Jakarta. Thank you!
You’re welcome Steph! Sorry for the late reply! 😊
I started my gin journey with Beefeater. It's still in my bar. Dependable. Solid.
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.
Thank you for your channel and content. My favorite.
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! :)
Gordon's works great if you want something with enough of a juniper kick to stand up to an infusion or a shaken cocktail. I love a good Mar-tea-ni and always like to keep a bit of English Breakfast tea infused Gordon's in a jar.
Bobby,I must say that this video is 100% spot on,as I am having a Tanqueray and tonic right now,just asking where is that bottle of # 3?,cheers. btw,when are we going to see a pic of you and Nerissa?
Actually Eric, I can do better than that as Nerissa will be appearing in the next video!
@@nononsensegindrinking5152 i'll drink to that.
Most helpful for this rookie. Cheers!
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.
great review.
I'm not a gin drinker really but the only one I tried that I liked and would was Beefeater.
cheers.🍻
would buy that is.sorry
Try four pillars dry gin. You won't be disappointed
You mean this one?
ua-cam.com/video/7JKqypmNl-4/v-deo.htmlsi=xjSBYJyNlSac-Ppz
Got turned off of gin years ago from a godawful bottle. Recently gave tanqueray a try and it became one of my favorites. Beefeater's next on my list to try
Great review of the popular ones. I mostly agree. ;)
Thanks Stephane! 😊😊
Beefeater is so underrated her in Oz because it's so cheap. One of my favourites.
Gordons is actually huge in Kenya especially during lockdown
Tanguaray for me ,but where can you rate gilbeys ?
@@ekksiele286 down there
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!
This was great!
Thanks Scott! 😊👍
Hard to take this guy's taste seriously when he says he doesn't like cucumbers.
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?
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.
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)
Sorry, love Hendricks! Cucumber is a great botanical and great garnish in Hendricks Martini.
Kudos for your honesty. 👏🏻
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.
👍👍😊😊
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! 🥒 🤮
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)
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.
I do agree Beefeater is good, Tanqueray is good too. But Plymouth I'd say is top of this list for me.
Bombay Sapphire Gin is my favorite, followed by the newer Aviation Gin
My first gin was Seager's and man, if you think Gordon's is bad you haven't seager's yet, and keep that way . Because of this fellow I thought for years I don't like gin. Till this last new year's event that my sister in law gave us a tanqueray bottle and man , my life has changed since than. Today my favorite drink is gin! I've tried some mainstream gins, some small batches and the world just is better heheh.
So glad you came around in the end lcaro! 😊😊
spot on 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.
Beefeater is excellent, its smooth, good amount of sweetness, balanced and dry. Makes a great g&t as well as sippin neat
Been a keen G&T drinker for the last few years, Tanqueray and Aviation gin are my go to. I've not drank gin straight yet
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.
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!
I was turned off by gin for decades. My dad drank Gordon’s . Chewing on a tree would be more pleasant
Great overview, and my gin tasting experience exactly matches yours. Would that all products were like Beefeater's: a great product and a great value. And yes, cucumbers -- yuck.
Thanks mate! BF and GD is always the first choice in my hometown.
A friend of mine, who was a cocktail bartender once told me to avoid Bombay Sapphire. She said that it was all marketing and the bottle was designed long before the recipe was finalised
Bombay sapphire is not named after city of Bombay and they are not trying to say it's made in Bombay. It's named after Star of Bombay sapphire currently with UK
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?
Nice video. Generally on the same page, but probably don’t see beefeater quite so far in front. Tanquery is usually my standard all rounder, but definitely Like the juniper hut of beefeater too. Bombay is way over rated and overpriced. I’ve always thought it’s gin for people that don’t like gin. Having said that I do their East version. Interestingly I really don’t care for the beefeater 24, but really rate the tanquery 10. For my home bar, I’d usually have a Tanquery, a nice London (sip smith or Martin miller’s ) a US (Aviation, Prairie) and living in Australia, 2 or 3 locals. I love trying new gins as it’s such an expression of the local flora.
I like Beefeaters with a twist of lime, with or without ice.
Bombay and Lemonade is still currently the only gin I drink lol
😱😱
Oh no! Trust me, try the Beefeater. I’m sure you will love it! 😊😊
That is basically a Tom Collins 👌
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! 👍👍😃😃