(Review) Gordon's London Dry Gin

Mystique: 0-10
Score: 6 points

Color: 0-10
Score: 10 points
Perfectly Clear

Scent: 0-10
Score: 8 points
evergreen

Initial Impression: 0-10
Score: 9 points
refreshingly tasty

Mouthfeel: 0-10
Score: 9 points
thicker than you'd think

Taste: 0-10 x 4
Score: 36 points
Tastes like Gin is supposed to

Raw Score Total:
78 points

Bonus Points
Value: 1-10
Score: 10 points

Total Score: 88 points

Ahh! Gordon's Gin, I know it well. It's unassuming sitting there on the shelf in it's clear plastic bottle. Jealous; yet smug towards those fancy bottles on the top shelf. If you have never tasted this gin and know nothing about it you might pass it by as just another bottle of cheap hooch. It's only eye catcher is it's very classic looking label. The yellow label with the red boar's head might look familiar if you're a classic movie buff. You see, Gordon's gin is often cited as one of the the first examples of product placement in motion pictures. Cases are stacked between Bogie and Hepburn on that ragged old boat The African Queen - Hepburn, the tea teetotaler, throws several cases of the stuff in the river. What a shame to treat such a great gin with such disrespect. You see it's a little smug at those fancy top shelf gins not only because its a little famous, but it's the only gin to receive the Royal Warrant from the Queen of England shortly after it's production began in 1769. Did I also mention Gordon's has given permission for use of its logo by the Red Rippers US Navy Fighter squadron since the 1930's? Why has it been around that long? It's the quintessential London Dry Gin. A picture of it's label should be in the dictionary next to the definition.

Gordon's is clear as crystal, it's nose is all juniper and spices and it immediately reminds you of Christmas. The first taste is dry and complicated with a mix of juniper, coriander and botanicals with a smooth but slight snap at the finish. It's one of the few straight alcohols that actually seems refreshing when you drink it, and it tastes equally good in a martini or a gin and tonic. It's mixed, but always there, and lends a cool taste to anything you decide to put it in. In my area you get all this for $11 per 1.75 liters bottle. A great value with taste that's half or less than the price of the fancy bottled gins. It should score higher on the mystique but I don't think anyone knows about it's history anymore. Sure your gin has a nifty bottle, but this is a cool classic that never goes out of style.