Gin recommendations?

Feek · 28 Dec 2017 at 19:05

I'm a newbie when it comes to drinking gin. When on holiday earlier in GU this year I bought some Blue Bottle gin purely on the name and the shape of the bottle.

This only got opened a couple of weeks ago but I've already almost emptied it. I think it's very good (at £40 for the bottle, it needed to be)

I don't want to go overboard on gin in the same way I've done with rum but I'd like some recommendations as to what gin to buy next based on the fact that I really like this Blue Bottle gin.

By coincidence I won a trip around the Silent Pool gin distillery (along with a £50 voucher to spend in their shop) at our work Christmas party so I'm now looking forward to getting that booked. When I won it, I was a complete gin virgin, having never touched a drop of it in my life.

Over to you, OcUK gin drinkers.

nst68 · 28 Dec 2017 at 20:03

Plymouth Gin and Whitley Neill are my favourites.

john_s · 28 Dec 2017 at 20:20

Blue Bottle is good stuff. The cheapest place I’ve found to buy it is at Guernsey airport duty free.

The other local gin, Wheadon’s, is nice too - especially the pink grapefruit one.

Others I like are Caorunn and Strathearn Oaked Highland gin.

Feek · 28 Dec 2017 at 21:39

I know that Blue Bottle is cheaper in the airport but whenever I go to GU, I go by boat so I don't get to take advantage of the duty free. It's a shame.

GeezerButler · 28 Dec 2017 at 23:34

Silent Pool is my number one choice at the moment. Sipsmith VJOP is OK.

Try this if you want to get samples to try before you buy:

https://www.masterofmalt.com/samples/gin-and-jenever-samples/

Feek · 29 Dec 2017 at 00:13

GeezerButler said:
https://www.masterofmalt.com/samples/gin-and-jenever-samples/

I'm really looking forward to my Silent Pool tour now.
Thanks for the link, I've ordered four samples.
Bathtub - Old Tom
Moonshot
Pothecary
Strathearn Heather Rose

I think I've got one measure of Blue Bottle left, that'll go tomorrow.

weringo · 29 Dec 2017 at 01:55

I've been going through a bottle of Rock Rose recently, a very punchy gin I would recommend.

For a very crisp G&T I would suggest Caorunn.

Bathtub Gin is also great but I think it goes better in a short cocktail rather than a G&T.

hux · 29 Dec 2017 at 02:31

Tarquin’s Cornish Navy Seadog

First Gin I tried and loved it since.

http://www.southwesterndistillery.c...san-francisco-world-spirits-competition-2017/

the-evaluator · 29 Dec 2017 at 08:58

Ophir and Gin Mare are the favourites in our house.

Mr.E. · 29 Dec 2017 at 09:06

Ophir is very nice, £18 at Tescos atm

Scam · 29 Dec 2017 at 10:42

I came in to suggest Ophir too. Very nice. Recommending a gin nowadays is a bit like recommending a whiskey. There's so much choice and they're all so different!

PapaLazaru · 29 Dec 2017 at 11:03

http://www.seriouseats.com/2017/12/the-best-new-spirits-of-2017.html

You can get the Gin at the top of the article in Aldi for £20, probably cheaper now Christmas is over.

HeadlessChicken · 29 Dec 2017 at 11:10

Gin Mare is my favourite. It's a bit different from most, as it has some mediterranean influences such as olive, rosemary, thyme etc. But it's blooming great.

john_s · 29 Dec 2017 at 19:22

Feek said:
I know that Blue Bottle is cheaper in the airport but whenever I go to GU, I go by boat so I don't get to take advantage of the duty free. It's a shame.

It’s worst the boats mess you about! If you’re lucky, the Liability will do a whole crossing without breaking down...

It does seem a bit daft though buying Blue Bottle at the airport to take off the island and then bring it back again! Which all falls over if you’re not checking a bag!

GSVBagpuss · 29 Dec 2017 at 19:27

Six o’clock is our favourite as it is so smooth. Depends what you like!

Feek · 29 Dec 2017 at 19:42

john_s said:
It’s worst the boats mess you about! If you’re lucky, the Liability will do a whole crossing without breaking down...

A group of us were on GU a few years back, those of us on the Condor got home long before those who were flying because the weather turned bad and all flights were cancelled. This was when Condor ran the two nice reliable boats, not the stupid new one and they were able to get the midnight crossing back.

I was given two bottles of utter rubbish rum for Christmas and have just returned them to Tesco. They were out of Ophir so I swapped them for a bottle of Sipsmith Dry London Gin which I did a quick read up of while I was standing in the shop and it seems to get decent reviews.

Squid Vicious · 30 Dec 2017 at 16:59

Sipsmith is very drinkable, have picked it up on a few occasions to treat my self.

Ophir is v.nice but only in very small doses, I find it a little to aromatic to drink to often.

Hendricks is also nice with a slice of cucumber.

I'll have to give Gin Mare a try, sounds interesting

NickK · 2 Jan 2018 at 18:59

I live up the road from silent pool, next to the distillery is Albury vineyard too

(walk up the same road). Btw the distillery & vineyard have their own car park if you find the silent pool car park full.

SP do a number of special editions to such as strawberry or blackberry “cordial” that I had gin infused in.

Also if you’re down this neck of the woods then try Hogs Back brewery tour too - they also have a shop stocking lots of brews too (not just their own). That’s just the other side of Guildford.

There’s also another vineyard along hogsback (an area near Guildford just down the A25).

Raymond Lin · 2 Jan 2018 at 19:27

HeadlessChicken said:
Gin Mare is my favourite. It's a bit different from most, as it has some mediterranean influences such as olive, rosemary, thyme etc. But it's blooming great.

I seen this getting good reviews online, I don't have any gin in the house and actually quite like a nice G&T now and again. Have you tried Brooklyn Gin and how does it compare?

Glanza · 3 Jan 2018 at 12:08

Bought the mother a bottle of Monkey Gin for Xmas and she's enjoying that.