GIN! Best value or recommended please.

[WildRosie]

My G&T season starts on 1st April so I'd be interested to know what's good and what's best avoided. My regular go-to is Tanqueray at 43% and it's usually discounted somewhere local. Are there any others of a similar style and price, apart from Beefeater and Morrison's Best ? I prefer a straightforward gin to those with additional flavourings and umpteen botanicals.

Thankyou.

Gee Gee Gin. Small business. Especially love the colour change one. But they are good gins in their own right.

Bathtub is amazing

Aldi do good gins. Their equivalent of Hendricks is nice. I know you said straight forward gins but I actually prefer Aldi’s Seville Orange and Lime gin to the Tanqueray one.

I agree re Bathtub and Gin Mare. I also like 6 o'clock gin (the damson as well as the plain one). Also enjoyed Silent Pool

I get my annual Christmas flavoured gin from Lidl.

I keep heavily hinting at monkey 47 to dh who buys me a bottle of posh gin every year.

Four Pillars, which is an Australian brand, do an interesting range as well.

And agree with you @Candlecassie about Aldi's Seville gin

@Candlecassie

Aldi do good gins. Their equivalent of Hendricks is nice. I know you said straight forward gins but I actually prefer Aldi’s Seville Orange and Lime gin to the Tanqueray one.

Which one is their Hendricks equivalent?

Wait, what's a gin season?
I adore harris gin nothing compares. Eden Mill does a similar one cheaper tho

@RampantIvy It's called Harrison

@Newjobnewstart My gin season starts on 1 Jan and ends on 31 Dec.

I tried the Harrison and wasn't that impressed. I preferred the Gordon's TBH.

There's a lot of snobbishness about Gordon's, simply because it's so well known and mainstream. It actually wins lots of blind tastings.

I agree @BIWI. There was food tasting programme on TV a few years ago with some well known chefs and food critics, and Gordon's won the gin tasting.

It has a clean, almost astringent juniper taste that I particularly like. I'm not a fan of adulterated flavoured gins (or flavoured tonic waters either).

I agree with a pp that Opihir gin tastes of liquid curry.

This is hands down my favourite gin..

www.masterofmalt.com/gin/wheadons/wheadons-gin-rock-samphire-and-pink-grapefruit-gin/?srh=1

Agree with those who said Gordon's - I keep going back to it and would be quite happy if that was the only gin available in the world. I do really love Hendricks though, and I also have a bottle of Bathtub gin as I liked the name!

@hightimer

Waitrose own brand is hands down one of the best gins I've tried. And I've tried a lot of gins.

Agreed

Hendricks is my go-to.

So much choice. I wish my bank balance was adequate for them all. By the way, I like Schweppes tonic. Not bothered about the two big F tonics.

Firstly, gin season? Pray tell. My gin season is pretty much all year It's my pre dinner drink whilst cooking, or chilling on a Sunday afternoon.

My absolute favourite gin is this one www.masterofmalt.com/gin/winchester-distillery/winchester-dry-gin/?srh=1 Proper juniper taste. Just perfect, it's the only one I loved neat and room temp.

I agree the Waitrose own is really good too. My general go to when it's on offer is Tanquerry, then Bombay Sapphire, and I also like Greenalls London dry gin. After some comments I will try Gordons again and see what the juniper is like.

I am also not a fan of flavoured gins, they remind me of alcoholpops. If I fancy a different taste I'll add some cucumber and some fresh rosemary stalks instead of my usual slice of lime.

I'm always going back to Gordon's too. I've tried all the others like Hendricks, Bombay sapphire etc which are all very nice but I'm more than happy sticking with Gordon's.

I'm currently drinking greenalls pink which I picked up from Lidl as my Gordon's wasn't available on my grocery delivery.

It's ok but not as clear, crisp and refreshing as Gordon's. I miss and notice the difference.

I like Schweppes tonic best. I did try a sort of floral tonic from Lidl in a pinkish tin which was very nice. I've not seen it in there again but I'm not a regular customer. But as their bakery is actually rather good I've been going in there more often for DC snacks after school and their sourdough loaves.

If I fancy something extra in my Gordon's I just add a dash of angostura bitters or some Teisseire grenadine syrup or more lemon.

I like gin plus mixer as a spring and summer aperitif so that's why it's April to September. It's something nice to look forward to as the winter ebbs away.

I like a bit of a mix of gins, from straight forward gins, Gordons is fine, but I do like Tanqueray and Hendricks.

Discovered a couple of years ago Hendricks Summer Solstice, nice and refreshing of a hot day, not a fan of Monkey 47 or Blue Sapphire, but can take a small Opihir with lots of lemon.

I am currently drinking Old Lady Gin (French) its one of the most reasonable ones I can get where I am, other than the local stuff.

During lock down we did a taste test of a number of tonics, and I know we all have different tastes, so tried Fever Tree, Schweppes, Asda own low cal, Lidl own low cal, Tesco own Low cal and Aldi....

The winner for me with just a plain gin was..........Asda!

@WildRosie

So much choice. I wish my bank balance was adequate for them all. By the way, I like Schweppes tonic. Not bothered about the two big F tonics.

I prefer Schweppes as well, has to be slimline. Not actually that keen on Fever Tree, don't think it's worth the money.

Hate Gordons 🤮 Prefer Bombay Sapphire or Tanqueray if I can't get Larios.

I really dislike diet tonic that has artificial sweetener in. It kills the taste of the gin and leaves a nasty aftertaste.

I drink the refreshingly light Fevertree tonic. It has no artificial sweeteners just less sugar.

I like the rangpur gin mentioned earlier. I dislike Ophir- it reminds me of Sweaty armpits. However I do have most of a bottle of it in my cupboard which needs drinking before I can justify trying some of the other recommendations on this thread! Any suggestions what to mix it with to mask the taste a little?

If you like 'ordinary' gins without an overpowering level of botanicals, I'd recommend Brecon gin. It's often on offer in supermarkets (mostly Morrisons) and it's really excellent for the price - regularly under £20 per bottle.

My other favourite among the 'cheap' gins is Tanqueray Rangpur. It's very limey so maybe doesn't fully fit your brief, but often on offer and available in supermarkets for £20 or less. We think it's great with curry!

My favourites on the pricier end are:

Cotswold Gin - serve with grapefruit and bay - this is my desert island gin!

Barra Atlantic Gin - tastes subtly of the sea, quite remarkable.