Beefeater London Dry Gin (47%)

Dry and sweet

Tasted neat in a glencairn. I'm tasting Beefeater next to Boodles, two of my favorite martini gins since sometime in the early 80's. The gins were sampled at room temp and given about 10 minutes to rest after the pour. This is the first time I've done a sbs of these gins... or even thought about it. Visually both the Boodles and the Beefeater were identically clear. Surprising to me, the Beefeater is noticeably more viscous. It has an oily appearance when swirled and there is thick sheeting and legs. The Beefeater gin has a lovely rich aroma that's sweet and fruity. There's citrus, lemon and grapefruit, tart berries, pine needles, It's surprising me with its subtle complexity. By comparison, the Boodles gin comes up a bit shorter. It's sweeter, lighter and less complex. It has a much lighter presence. In audiophile terms, the Beefeater is vacuum tubes to the Boodles' transistors. The Beefeater tastes sweet and has excellent mouthfeel. There's the expected prominent juniper along with candied orange rinds, tart lemon, roasted almonds and a tapered, peppery finish that leaves a nice warmth. The Boodles, as might be expected at this point, is lighter, a little sweeter (like sugared lemon drops) and a little thinner. in mouthfeel and complexity It's a delightful gin, and one that I'll continue to enjoy in an martini. I can see how each of these could be considered "superior" to the other in a martini. The mixed cocktail adds its own variables. Side-by-side, neat and presented without garnish or distraction, the Beefeater is the better liquor. At its price, this is a benchmark product. I like G&T, Negronis and the such, but I simply love a good martini. I'll have to really experiment to see how and which vermouth pairing works best with each of these, and with my wife's and my regular standard-bearer, Bombay Sapphire. That sounds like work I can look forward to!