Boodles has been a long-term friend of mine. I've had this as my "go to" martini gin for at least 3 decades. It's the only way I drink it (the Boodles, not the martini) - mixed 3:1 with (typically) Dolan's or Noilly Pratt (sometimes Martini & Rossi, but that's my least favorite) Today I'm drinking a martini up with Nolan's, garnished with an olive. This has a bracing freshness, juniper forward, somewhat briny (no, I didn't make this "dirty") and with subtle sweet notes in the tail. Boodles is a solid gin that makes for a classic martini in proportions of 3:1 and higher. I like this is in a classic Direct Martini when I want something that gets the job done in one step, using freezer gin, a frozen Nick & Nora, and just a few drops of vermouth on the top (chilled, of course) and garnished with a lemon zest. Boodles isn't the best gin I've ever had, but I'll take it over many other mainstream brands such as Tanqueray, Fords, Gordon's, etc... I think I like it better than Beefeater, and maybe as much as Bombay Sapphire - but it doesn't rise quite to the level of The Botanist or Sipsmith.