Greenall's London Dry Gin

Exploring various gins I haven't had, this is a budget option that's pushed hard at Total Wine. Let's see what's going on here. Tasted neat from a copita sbs with Beefeater as the control. On the nose I get the bitter chemical scent of crushed aspirin, ethanol, floral elements and some juniper/pine at the end. Overall I'd say the nose isn't anything special and is more likely a liability than an asset. In comparison the Beefeater has a far more prominent juniper note, clean pine, ethanol and a sharp element that reads as sweet but is otherwise too muted to identify. On the palate the Greenall is soft, reminding me more of bad vodka than good gin. There's some juniper and vegetal notes but they are shy and cloaked by the overall "manufactured" personality of the gin. It's not bad per se, but definitely isn't anything I need to taste neat again. It tastes like cheap, weak gin - full stop. The Beefeater continues to dominate with a much bolder profile, stronger juniper, easily identified citrus elements, some slight mintiness, all followed by a fast fade through black pepper to a slightly chemical finish. Okay, neither of these is a neat sipper although the Beefeater is far less objectionable. How about mixed into a cocktail? I tried Martinis (my favorite) made 3:1 gin to Dolin Dry vermouth, 2 dashes of saline and a dash of orange bitters. Served up, no garnish The Beefeater is the clear winner but the J & G Greenall put up a much better showing here. I can see how some might even prefer the muted gin profile that is more of a partner with the vermouth. Not bad at all, but not a stand out either. It's soft but likes to work with the vermouth and was brightened by a twist. I wouldn't object to this martini at a restaurant, but again I think the Beefeater has both more personality and more developed flavor. Pricing isn't a big challenge. The J & G Greenall at about $15 for a 750ml bottle (when on sale) is about 15% less than the Beefeater, but otherwise they sell for an identical $17.99 per 750ml bottle. It's really no contest. I'll take the Beefeater.

Nose of juniper with a hint of lime peel. Pretty smooth on the palate. Flavors of neutral spirit, juniper and burnt pine needles. Alcohol finish. Not horrible, there really just isn’t much going on. Non-gin forward cocktails only.

This is a solid mixing gin, but to drink straight or on the rocks is a bit bland. astringent and dry, the main note is juniper followed by lemon peel, hints of coriander and black pepper. Nothing out of the ordinary but not undrinkable.