New Amsterdam is an American-made gin. It's marketed as being smooth and subtle enough to drink straight. Personally, all gin can and should be enjoyed neat, or on the rocks, and not used only as a cocktail ingredient. You can only understand and appreciate the idiosyncracies of each different gin by drinking it by itself; and then, you can make informed decisions about which gin works for each cocktail. [And I don't wish to appear dogmatically didactic. Knowing your booze is fun.]
New Amsterdam clocks in at 80 proof, and this low proof plays a part in it's smoothness. It's muted platinum in color and has a viscous body as you swirl it around in a glass. New Amerstam's nose is a mix of peppery juniper and sweet lemony citrus. The lemon notes themselves have some playful complexity - there's some bitterness of lemon peel, a bit of sweetness like lemon meringue pie, and a soft creaminess that suggests lemon yogurt. Way in the background, almost overlooked, is a hint of powdery gound corriander. Its mouthfeel is soft, oily, and warm. New Amsterdam's taste is dominated by the lemony, citrus notes. It's almost like drinking a citrus-flavored vodka. The traditional juniper gin tastes are pushed aside and act as a loyal sidekick to the citrus instead of running the show. It is sweet, light, and bright like clean linen dried by the breeze of a summer day. New Amsterdam finishes nicely, with the sweetness remaining but then dissolving as a gentle ethanol burn rolls from the back of your tongue.
New Amsterdam lives up to it marketing: it is smooth and light-bodied. It is certainly a change from the expected juniper-heavy flavor found in the majority of gins out there. It's pronounced citrus notes make this gin a good choice if mixing fruity cocktails, or as the purist in me would say, a good choice to drink neat. New Amsterdam is a gin you should try. If it's not your thing, at least you'll have broadened your understanding of how gin can taste.
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