Not since our cookout where we had the delicious Kraken, have I ever really had Bombay (which was sadly lost to us). As stated I’m more a Tanqueray kind of man, but then Justice would have some fighting words with me about that – mostly because we’d have drunk our respective gins. However not to show bias this week I shall partake of the original Bombay Sapphire for you all.
Good afternoon everyone, if you’re wondering why there’s another Buffalo review (and no Bison Grass Vodka), I’d like to say that what I’m reviewing is so special to my heart that my fellow reviewers shall not get a share. Sadly though you’ve already seen Seagram’s Gin in the title, so that’s basically ruined.
John…please put the music video for Gin and Juice by Snoop Dogg here as posing a link would probably be useless to you. Also…I apologize in advance…
NOTE: Turn on the music. The review does not go to it but it is rather appropriate.
Hurry, hurry, hurry! Step right up and test your taste! Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, dogs and cats of all ages, sizes, and creeds have I got a deal for you! This is hot off the presses and is something that can relieve all of your ailments and woes and if you don’t believe me then I am sorry but you can just go kick dirt for all I care!
Hello there! My name is William Power McGillicutty and I am here to offer you something that shares something with me and it is the name of Power! This here is the most miraculous, fantastic, wonderful, amazing, stupendous, and delicious elixir that you will ever try! This ladies in gentlemen, is Hendricks gin!
So, depending on who you are, when you hear “Beefeaters” you might think “Fuck that I’m vegan or perhaps if you are a person who has ever visited a liquor store (if you haven’t, then this article probably isn’t for you) then you could be thinking “eww” or “woot woot cheap gin”. Normally my own reaction would be the final one, but that opinion may be changing with the advent of Beefeater’s newest creation “Beefeater 24”.
Dear family and friends of the Honest Booze Review Community. 2 weeks ago members of the Honest Booze Review Crew took a vacation. Luckily William Henri Neve was found somewhere in a bar, and DJ_Lvl apparently never left. However Justice a dear friend of ours did not show at our scheduled review session. We had sat down ready to review a gin we’ve often recommended: The Tanqueray Rangpur.
Greetings friends and mortals, I am the Buffalo. I have been tasked with guiding you to enlightenment of the world of the classic cocktail. My cohorts and I have been fairly prolific on our thoughts regarding spirits over the past several months, and while we make sure to include mixability as a metric it’s never been the forefront of our reviews. This is odd because while certainly things like taste and cost matter to us our biggest question upon re-purchasing is “how well does it make drink X?”
Take vodka as an example; we wax on about how good a vodka is and certainly there’s nothing wrong enjoying some cold vodka neat or on rocks, but when it comes to what we buy we always ask? “How good of a White Russian does it make?”
So then to start you off I can think of nothing better than my old favorite – The Gin & Tonic.
When you hear Gordon’s you think of one name, James Bond, with the famous words “Shaken, not stirred.” What most people don’t get is that James Bond’s martini’s use vodka, and shaking gin for a martini is the worst thing you could do to it. Now we’re not here this week to judge James Bond’s iconic-ly known vodka (though it’s not that great). No we are here to review Gordon’s Gin, a gin that was my (The Buffalo’s) first foray into gin. Which ended with me almost nearly being turned off to gin forever.
Hello and welcome to booze reviews! Before you ask yes the exclamation was necessary, and yes it is gin week again. I am the man called Justice and I will be revealing to you the gin which seems to have just been made for the casual gin and tonic. This week we have New Amsterdam Gin.
As our reviews take us around the world of alcohol; this week we finally land in Her Majesty’s Kingdom of Great Britain. For our review this week we take a look at the fantastic world of gin with Tanqueray. Since I have been the only one to actually set foot on British soil, I BuffaloJern will enlighten you about this fantastic gin.
To give a brief overview of the format; our four reviewers DJ Lvl, William Henri Neve the IV, Justice, and myself sample the gin giving scores based on some set categories, this is then followed by our own personal scores. Keep in mind that these scores (except manliness) are based on other gins as opposed to a scotch or vodka.
Tanqueray is in my mind a classy version of Bombay. Both are the quintessential London Dry Gins, despite Tanqueray being currently distilled in Scotland (It was originally in London), but that whole WWII/Bombing London thing happened. Anywho the mere fact that Tanqueray is distilled in Scotland only enforces what SNL has taught us “If it’s not Scottish its crap!” and I couldn’t agree more. At about 92 proof, distilled 4 times, and containing juniper, coriander, and angelica root this gin is fantastic.
And yet it’s not. Unfortunately as with most liquors the standard version the company makes are usually lacking. Tanqueray’s No 10 is superior in taste, and the Rangpur version of Tanqueray is simply a better gin. So where does that leave the Old London Dry Gin, the basic model if you will? It stays there in your bar for when you want your standard gin and tonic, when life doesn’t demand something extraordinary. It remains there looking at you in its beautiful bottle showing the world that yes I do drink gin, and no I do not drink Gordon’s.
The best part of this is Tanqueray understands this, they do not come off as cocky, or flashy just simple, praising themselves modestly and dare I say British-like.
What they say: “Back of the Bottle: Charles Tanqueray began distilling in 1830 and Tanqueray gin continues his legacy of excellence. The highest quality spirit and finest botanicals. Picked at the peak of their freshness, are carefully crafted to produce its exceptional, much revered taste.
Front: By appointment to her majesty the queen Tanqueray Gordon & Company Limited. London, England. Gin Distillers”
Taste: 7.875 – I understand the festive nature of these comments may annoy those burdened by Future Christmas but a mark of a true gin is that great pine smell. And that’s all we get here, a fine really damn good taste.
Aftertaste: 5.375 – William and I felt the initial aftertaste akin to a punch fastly followed by a beautiful women stripping, slowly. After the first bit of pine there is a bit of ethanol followed again by a long drawn out pine feeling. I would like to comment though that Justice enjoyed both aftertastes while DJ Lvl didn’t care for either, attributing to our average score of 5.
Burn/Smooth: 8 – Nicely smooth especially comparative to other gins, and that’s all there is to say about it. This goes down smoothly unlike a lower quality gin which would be like pouring paint thinner down you throat.
Aroma: 8.25 – A nice pine smell with a bit of ethanol to it, but no real bark. Much like the taste everything here is smooth, pine, and superb.
Honesty: 8.75 – The front of the bottle mentions the god damn queen, that along with the seals, and the tale of Charles Tanqueray gives this gin some serious points. Will states; however; that the only thing keeping this from getting a better score is because it mentions botanicals a bunch. While this won’t make you seem like your balls are made of the steel that your chest hair mines from your abs, one look at that beautiful green bottle and the martini you create will force James Bond to begin searching his pockets for some class.
Mixability: 8.17
Gin and Tonic: Really great gin and tonic, you can taste the gin, the lime, and tonic and they all come together in a beautiful government approved synthesis of booze and carbonation. However with only the juniper taste it leaves something to be desired from the citrus feel of some other gins.
Red Baron: Pretty god damn excellent Baron, while this drink can make a bad gin bearable here it makes the drink one of that best things in existence.
Buffalo Note: This also makes a damn good Martini, but it’s older brother Tanqueray no. 10 blows it out of the water.
Value: 7.125 – Good for mixing, and on its own but for its price and that aftertaste I would always recommend getting a better gin and spending the extra 3-4 bucks.
Google Shop Average: $25
Website: http://www.tanqueray.com/
Reviewer Scores:
DJ_Lvl: 7
William Henri Neve IV: 7.5
Justice: 8
BuffaloJern: 8
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Score Total: 53.56/70 |+| Metric Average: 7.65 |+| Reviewer Average: 7.63
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Final Thoughts: Tanqueray is clearly a great choice for a gin but it be a better choice to shell out the few extra bucks and buy one of his older brothers (the No. 10 or Rangpur). However if you’ve been living off Beefeaters (regular) or Gordons for your entire drinking life consider getting a bottle and reminding yourself what all gin should be.
Cheers mates.
