Beefeater London Dry Gin (47%)

ok, run of the mill gin.

Coming from a bourbon background, I'll admit I'm not a regular gin drinker by any stretch, but being a benchmark of the category, I thought I'd give Beefeater a sample. Enjoyed neat from a Glencairn, nothing added. Color is completely clear. On the nose I pick up a fair amount of alcohol burn, and while mostly neutral and clean, I do get a herbal note mixed with spicy pepper and a bit of celery. The taste is sweet with flavors of toasted grain alcohol, vanilla, and tangy notes of lemon, liquorice, and coriander. The gin finishes clean and crisp with a lingering lemony flavor, almost like the aftertaste of a lemon water. Overall, it's easy to see why this has been a gin standard for well over a century. Light, crisp, tangy, and perfectly drinkable or mixable into your favorite cocktail. Cheers!