So apparently before Prohibition, gin was a low-brow desperate kind of an alcohol. Because of its ready availability during Prohibition though (it was easy to take any sort of industrial alcohol, add some juniper and glycerine, water it down and pretend it was a good label) gin became a favored drink among the higher class as well.
This is fortunate for us, because we now have quite the assortment of gins to choose from! (Crafted much more carefully than the gins which made the spirit popular, I assure you.)
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Let me introduce you to Oxley, Hendrick's, Nolet's and Bombay (the control).
The tasting was done in the following order: Bombay - Oxley - Hendrick's - Nolet's.
Bombay Sapphire is a vapor-infused gin based on a recipe from 1761 which was secret then - but whose components are labeled on every bottle and on their website and include lavender and orange, coriander, almonds, licorice and others. I find it slightly sweet, very smooth and citrusy. This is my first choice for martinis. I'd say it is the sorbet of gins.
Oxley is a cold-distilled English gin with the flavors of lemon and anise and a mystery 14 other botanicals. It is not as smooth as Bombay, but definitely one of my favorites. A bit drier with a biting aftertaste that you might enjoy if you're a martini drinker. This is definitely the dark chocolate of the the gins.
Hendrick's, is a small-batch gin that has been around since 1999 (just younger than most of you!) made with rose petals, cucumber and other botanicals. I find Hendrick's to be herbal and grassy - like tea. Not as fresh; not as sharp. A Hendrick's martini is fantastic if you're in the mood - they're slightly different than any other. Here we have the rainbow sherbet of the gins.
Nolet's, is a Holland gin with rose, white peach, and raspberry. The company has been around for a long time, but Nolet's silver, which is what you're likely to try is a recrafted version supposedly made for modern tastes. (Nolet's Reserve is made with saffron and verbena.) The Nolet's has to go last in any tasting and is particularly suited to a gin and tonic because it has a strong enough flavor to withstand the melting of ice (which is bound to happen a little if you're faced with four gin and tonics to drink at once!). It is perfumey and floral and almost like a flavored vodka - just with that distinctive gin taste to it. This is your white chocolate strawberry mousse of gins.
This was a wonderfully fun tasting to do. Garnish the Hendrick's with a cucumber and the Nolet's with raspberries and you'll have a pretty picture to go with the flavors. If you're doing this on your own, I suggest checking out those marketing websites I've included. They're rather entertaining, though the Bombay website might be frustrating if you're already a little zozzled.
Cheers!
