The Great Gin Taste Off (An Illustrated Essay)

As an occasional sampler of alcoholic delicacies, my taste in spirits tends to wax and wane over time. One year, it may be White Russians that tickle my fancy, the next it may be a Panache; and, sometimes, on occasion, nothing will suffice but a Hairy Buffalo (not really). Lately, I’ve been on a Gin and Tonic kick. I don’t know what it is, perhaps it’s been the heat of our recent summer or my affection for things with lemon slices, but I’ve just been drawn to its simplicity of design and cleanness of flavour.

But as a relative novice to the world of Gin, and this applies to spirits in general, I’ve always wondered: Why are some brands of Gin are more expensive than others? What is it that makes a brand like, say, Hendricks priced that much more than another like Beefeaters? Is there really a noticeable difference if different brands were compared against each other? Would I notice a difference? Would I prefer one (especially the cheapie) over the other? These were questions that plagued my thoughts by day, and haunted my dreams by night. Thus was born the idea of the Great Gin Taste Off.


The idea was to compare three brands of Gin, a cheap one, a middle of the road brand, and one ranked in the upper echelon of grading. Part of choosing three was logistic as well; anything more and you kind of end up drinking quite a bit of alcohol in one sitting.

The three contestants for consideration were:


Tanqueray Ten: A London Dry Gin, it’s produced in Scotland and is the flagship offering of the Tanqueray family. A multiple award winner, including Best New Gin (Food and Wine), Spirit of the Year (Wine and Spirits Annual Buying Guide), 98 Rating (Wine Enthusiast Magazine), Double Gold Medal Winner at the San Francisco Spirits Competition, and honoured in the San Francisco Spirits Competition Hall of Fame (awarded when voted best in show three years running). It’s described as "sublimely fresh with depth and complex flavour and a mouth-feel that can only be described as unctuous... highlighted by flavours of grapefruit, orange and lime and mellowed by juniper and chamomile.”


Bombay Sapphire: A brand of gin distributed by Bacardi, the name hints at the origins of the gin's popularity in the India of the days of the British Raj. The flavouring of the drink comes from a recipe of ten ingredients: almond, lemon peel, liquorice, juniper berries, orris root, angelica, coriander, cassia, cubeb, and grains of paradise. The spirit goes through a triple distilled process to give it a lighter, more floral flavour.


Gordon’s London Dry Gin: The cheapest gin I could find.

Aiding me in this little experiment, since it’s always good to have a second opinion, mi compadre Keith G.

A data whiz by day and photographer of special occasions and kids by moonlight, I’ve found that Mr. G has always had a knack for culinary observation.


We first started with Gordon’s and were immediately struck by the medicinal quality of the taste. While all gin’s will have a distinct flavouring due to their enfusion with juniper berries, in the case of Gordon’s, the burn of the alcohol definitely competed with any flavour that the gin may have had. This burn lingered in the palate for a period of time afterward. Keith also noticed that Gordon’s tended to stimulate the outside of the tongue. Very little aroma or taste, it was basically like drinking ethanol.


Next up was Bombay Sapphire. I found the aroma of Bombay to be comparable that of Gordon’s; but what immediately hit us was the difference in taste which was much stronger and deeper. Bombay Sapphire is a gin that really fills your palate with it’s flavour; which I presume to be of the juniper berries and which I can only describe as bitter and earthy. Keith noted that the taste settled more in the middle of the tongue. Point well taken, sir. It still packed a significant burn afterwards, but the juniper taste lingered much longer as well, which had a tempering affect.


Finally, Tanqueray Ten. The first thing I noticed was the difference in aroma which reminded me of the zest on a lemon. This carried on through into the flavour itself such that there a significant citric component to it that actually increased the bitterness a little in the aftertaste, which was stronger than the Bombay Sapphire. However, this was balanced out by the fact that there was very little burn going down. This was a mellow gin.

So in the end, what was the verdict?


Well, Keith decided on the Bombay Sapphire. While the Tanqueray Ten was definitely smoother, He was really turned off by the stronger aftertaste. Additionally, he was more drawn by the more floral bouquet of Bombay Sapphire. I always had him pegged as a bit of a poofter.


For myself, my drinking habits tend to gravitate towards drinks and drinking strategies that minimize or reduce the burn of a particular spirit. So, Tanqueray Ten was aces in my books. Its mellow taste and smooth finish gave it the edge over Bombay Sapphire.


And thus was concluded Cliff and Keith’s first ever Great Gin Taste Off. Stay tuned for the next instalment of “The Great _______ Taste Off” when we tackle other spirits like Vodka, Beer and Two Buck Chuck,.


You know, this happens to me much more often than I would care to admit.