Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On Sat, 6 Feb 2010 19:49:32 -0800, "Bob Terwilliger"
> > wrote:
>
>
>
>> I think it's interesting that notbob specified "martini" gin, since it seems
>> to me that gins vary so much that it might actually make sense to have
>> different gins for different drinks. For example, based on what I've read
>> recently I think the new Tanqueray Rangpur might be good for gin & tonic,
>> but not as good for Ramos gin fizzes.
>>
>> In shopping for Delilah ingredients last week I found that there's a much
>> greater range of flavors in gins than I'd realized; manufacturers are
>> departing quite strongly from the traditional idea of what a gin is supposed
>> to be. (I ended up buying a bottle of Citadelle and a bottle of some
>> off-brand which I was hoping would taste of juniper and little else.)
>>
>> Until last week, I thought that gin could be broken down into two main
>> types: English and Dutch. English gin is what most people think of as gin:
>> It's a white spirit mainly flavored with juniper, with side notes from other
>> flavoring agents. Dutch gin is markedly different from English gin. To start
>> with, it's often brown in color, and deeper in flavor. Traditionally, Dutch
>> gin is served neat in ceramic cups which are filled to the point where
>> surface tension causes the gin to bow out above the rim of the cup. But
>> today's gin producers are starting to emphasize the non-juniper flavors in
>> gin to the point where it's debatable whether it's still appropriate to call
>> the products "gin".
>>
>> I don't know the difference between the top-selling gins, e.g., Beefeater,
>> Gilbey's, Gordon's, or Seagram's; maybe someone here can expound on the
>> qualities of those gins. I am familiar with Tanqueray and Bombay Sapphire,
>> but neither of them strike me as something I need to seek out and consume on
>> a regular basis. I might just have to buy "airline" bottles of several
>> brands to take notes on how they differ. I'm particularly interested in the
>> Anchor gins (they make both a Dutch and English version), in the Rogue
>> Spirits' gins (both the spruce and the pink spruce), and in the Hendrick's
>> gins.
>>
>> Bob
>
>
> I'd use a lesser quality for mixing with anything aside from tonic
> water. That is where Gilbey's, Gordon's, and the like are acceptable.
> For drinking with tonic or as a martini, I like the premium gins. I'd
> never waste Hendricks (my favorite) in some fruity drink. It has a
> nice infusion of flavors that can be appreciated either on ice or with
> some tonic.
>
> IMO, the Tangueray Rangpur was too heavily lime flavored for my taste.
> Their Malacca, though, is excellent, as is Ten. I'd never turn down
> Bombay, Tangueray, Boodles, Beefeater, or a handful of others in that
> price range. Taste is such a personal thing you'd really have to try
> a few to decide. Like any spirit, the low end tends to have a bit
> more bite, the high end smoother.


Seagram's or Gordon's is perfect with tonic, but the really cheap
stuff is passable. Tangueray is better for martinis. I've never
heard of Dutch gin before, I'll have to look that up.

BTW, gin tastes nasty (maybe not the high dollar stuff, I dunno),
and tonic water tastes nasty, but when you mix them together with a
little lemon or lime it tastes great. I can't figure out how that
works.

Bob