Matrin Miller's London Dry Gin Review

Martin Miller's London Dry Gin is heralded as an ultra-premium gin.  It's 80 proof, and made with cassia bark, Florentine iris, juniper, coriander, and licorice root. The prduction of Miller's Gin begins in England where it's distilled and ends after it's shipped to Iceland where very pure water is added before bottling.  Mr. Miller himself is a hotel owner in England and decided, with his friends, to produce the greatest gin made.  Let's see how he fared.

Miller's Gin is bright and silvery in color and moves around the glass more like water than like oil.  It's nose is at first very lemony, almost chemical-like, like lemon Pledge.  Under the lemon, juniper spice swirls along with a more subtle orangy note that is creamy like an Orange Julius.  Also sneaking around is an earthy, dry organic essence.  Mouthfeel is slightly thick and warm.  Miller's taste is quite complex.  The lemon from the nose is there with a confectionary sweetness that hits the center of your palate.  There are also spikes of an almost vermouth-like dryness.  It finishes with sweet, lingering fumes and a delayed burn that's laden with juniper spice.  After the burn subsides (which it does quickly), the initial lemon from the nose returns.

Martin Miller's Gin is not a mainstream juniper-dominant gin.  It's sweetness stands up well in mixed drinks, but also allows the gin to be enjoyed just as much on the rocks, by itself.  Mr. Miller should be proud of his efforts in the creation of this liquor.  While I don't keep a bottle on hand perpetually, I'm always happy to be reminded of Miller's when strolling through the gin aisle.  Miller's is like the distant uncle with whom you don't hang out often, but who you can always count on to send an awesome Christmas present.

The Negroni: Classic Aperitif

The Negroni is one of the best aperitif cocktails around.  The drink is said to first made around 1925 in Florence, Italy when Count Camillo Negroni asked the innkeeper to put some gin in his Americano.  The resulting drink gained popularity and became known as the Negroni.  Obviously, the name stuck.

The Negroni is one of those cocktails that you need to be exact in your measurements.  A 1:1:1 ratio works best in my opinion:

- 1 ounce Campari
- 1 ounce sweet vermouth
- 1 ounce gin

You can serve it up in a cocktail glass, or as I prefer, on the rocks in an old-fashioned glass.  And, in my opinion the drink is not complete without an orange peel garnish (although I've seen lemon used, too).  Be sure to use a sharp knife when peeling your orange, and don't cut too deep or you'll get the bitter pith along with the peel. 

The Negroni is absolutely one of my favorite gin drinks, and certainly ranks in the top 3 in the pre-dinner cocktail category.  If you've never tried Campari before, you may be surprised by its bitterness.  While it may be an aquired taste by itself, it is certainly more approachable in the Negroni.  For those familiar with Campari (and gin and vermouth), you'll immediately understand that the whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts.  Make this drink a familiar part of your cocktail rotation.

New Amsterdam Straight Gin Review

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.

Tanqueray Review

Tanqueray London Dry Gin is sold in the U.S. at 94 proof.  It's distilled 4 times, and is sold in its recognizable green bottle.  Tanqueray's ingredient list is kept secret, known by only 3 master distillers (at least according to the Tanqueray website).  The bulk of it is distilled in Scotland.

Tanqueray is bright platinum in color.  Nosing reveals crisp, sprucy juniper notes.  Citrus zest is also present, along with a slight medicinal note.  And, if you try hard enough, you can find a syrupy sweetness. Tanqueray's taste is dominated, but not overpowered, by a slap of peppery juniper berry.  Lemon peel is mixed in there, too, as are whisps of spearmint, licorice, and the essence of a bubblegum sweetness.  Tanqueray finishes with a hearty burn, thanks in equal measure to the juniper presence and alcohol content.  The aftertaste is akin to what you'd be left with after chewing a pine needle.  Thirty seconds after swallowing, you're left with a tingling burn on the middle of your tongue and top of your palate.

Tanqueray is ubiquitous in American bars and liquor stores, making it a staple gin.  It's juniper spice makes Tanqueray a great choice for a gin and tonic, or for serving over rocks to enjoy on a brisk evening.  Like a whiskey with high rye content, Tanqueray's juniper flavor places it squarely in the catergory of a spicy spirit.

How to Make a Dry Martini

Not sure if the bartender's British accent adds credibility or not.  Anyways, in the words of Shooter McGavin, here's a free lesson:

Hendrick's Gin Review

Hendrick's Gin is self-procalimed as being handcrafted in small batches.  The small batch distillling model is self explanatory: the gin is distilled in smaller quantities (450 liters at a time for Hendrick's) than larger-production brands, which allows the master distiller more control over the process.  Hendrick's Gin is clearly marketed as a boutique gin.  It's held in a short cylindrical, nearly opaque bottle, like that of  an apothecary's.  And, it's 88 proof.

The full set of ingredients are proprietary, but what makes Hendrick's unique is the use of rose petals and cucumbers.  Its appearance is shimmering crystal clear.  Upon nosing, you're met with piney juniper spice, lemon peel, and floral fragrance.  There are also subtle sweet, hard candy-esque notes.  Mouthfeel is a bit heavy, more on the thick than watery side.  Hendrick's taste is juniper spiciness, that's balanced by the sweetness from the rose petals, which comes across as a rose water essence.  The spice/sweetness is the dominant taste profile, but in the background and on the edges is a ground cumin note, which adds nice complexity.  Hendrick's finishes quickly with slight purfumey sweetness and a warm ethanol burn.

Hendrick's Gin proclaims that "It Is Not For Everyone."  Marketing ploys aside, I don't think is necessarily true.  Hendrick's may not be your go-to, everyday gin.  But, it's certainly worth being in your liquor cabinet's rotation.

Beefeater London Dry Gin Review

Beefeater gin is of the common London Dry Gin type.  It clocks in at 94 proof.  Beefeater is made with some of the ususal suspects: juniper, Seville orange peel, almonds, orris root, coriander seed, angelica root, lemon peel, angelica seeds, and licorice.  It's presently owned by Pernod Ricard, and is distilled in London.

Beefeater is silvery clear.  Upon nosing, you get lemon peel, some grainy ethanol, and crisp floral accents.  The fragrance is soft and clean like sun-dried linens.  Mouthfeel is pleasantly oily, and warmly coats your tongue.  Beefeater's taste centers around the juniper.  Coriander enters the picture as well, with notes of citrus.  Beefeater is well rounded and elegant; almost delicate.  It finishes with a bit of heat and a burn on the front of your tongue, which reminds you of the relatively high proof. 

Beefeater London Dry is an outstandingly serviceable gin.  It's easy to find, not expensive, and mixes well in cocktails.  It being a popular guest in your liquor cabinets is not a bad thing.