Beefeater London Dry Gin (47%)

Strong peppery presence, as soon as it hits your tongue the spiciness is immediately present. Comparatively little sweetness and more subtlety to the floral notes. Good but not to my personal liking.

The Bottle: This one is kind of a classic, ubiquitous on every bar-shelf in the world I would think. Bold red and white colors with the distinctive Beefeater on the front make it easy to pick out from a distance. There’s some information on here about the gin’s history and how it is proudly made in in London. It’ll do. In the Glass: It’s gin, it’s clear. It’s a touch more viscous than water but not as much as a few vodka’s that I’ve come across. The Nose: Juniper is at the forefront, with a backdrop of some mild spices. For 47% Abv, it’s very smooth on the nose and comes off as a pretty no-nonsense gin that isn’t going nuts with botanicals. Taste: The higher than average alcohol content on this carries the juniper and the black pepper really nicely. There are no real discernable sweet or floral notes to my palate. There’s a wash of slightly muted botanicals in there, but juniper and black pepper are at the fore-front. The alcohol is perceivable on the finish, but it doesn’t have any kind of burn that would normally be associated with higher-proof spirits. All-around, this is a solid London Dry Gin. It isn’t overly complex which makes it work really well in a lot of the standard gin-based cocktails out there like a martini or a gin and tonic. In fact, the flavor profile complements citrus in a very pleasing way (think lemon or lime martini instead of olive). I wouldn’t recommend this as a sipper, per se, but you would be hard-pressed to find a better cocktail gin for the money.

This makes the best gin & tonic. The junipers, citrus, and coriander really shines. Not real fond of this neat. Juniper and alcohol is strong when drank neat. Tastes like a $20 gin neat, tastes like a $35 gin in a tonic.

I have spent a few weeks drinking this stalwart of the Gin world and I truly understand why it has been popular for so long. It has a crispness and cleanness mixed well with all of the drinks I made. The spices they use really complement a Gin and Tonic with a little extra lime. It also makes a very good Martini with a 3 to 1 ratio and I was using Gallo vermouth which is not a great vermouth but is serviceable. The drink it makes is quite good and easy to drink. I really like how I can find this at any liquor store in the country. It is very affordable and is of good quality. While I do not have any space in my home but I will make one after this business trip. I still like other Gins better, but this is a strong contender for a regular in my bar. Drink and enjoy.