Hendricks as well
Regular Bombay, not Sapphire, has been my gin of choice for most everything. Sapphire, while
higher alcohol, has always been too delicate and citrusy for me. I prefer a little gruff in my spirits.
Yeah, regular Bombay is far better than sapphire. Only issue is that if you order one at a bar, you have to specifically state “not sapphire” otherwise a Neanderthal bartender will pour it anyway. So I order Tanqueray to avoid the problem.
You have to like cucumber to like Hendrick’s. It’s great, otherwise.
I like the Aviation rec. Delicious, not harsh or overbearing; it’s trying hard not to grate. Turn up everything a touch (especially the price) and Martin Miller’s is a decent martini gin too.
If you really like juniper, I recommend Junipero, but it’s a bit…beefy. Ditto the beefy, much less juniper, but with a lot more herbal notes (saffron, in this case) is Cadenhead’s Old Raj. Fantastically smooth.
EDIT: I’d add that I don’t know the subtleties of a good Martini gin vs a good gin for G&T’s. (Though, please tell me, if you know) I’m just telling you about the gins I’ve liked in Martinis.
Acting on preliminary recs, and because they were on sale, I picked up a bottle of Beefeaters and a bottle of Tanqueray Rangpur. I am currently enjoying a Beefeaters Gibson. The wife found it very intriguing as well. Taste tests will continue. I figure if the Tanqueray is too citrusy for a martini it will make a great G&T.
Based on what Gray Ghost says above, I’m going to pass on the Hendrick’s. Because I hate cucumbers with the white hot fury of a thousand suns, unless they’re pickled. And I’m out to get me pickled, not the gin!
Vermouth? 
Not a martini without vermouth, it’s just a shot of gin. I like Dolin.
I used to like Martini & Rossi, until I tried Dolin.
Hendricks for most, Bombay Sapphire for dirty martinis.
Their sweet vermouth is great in manhattans.
Mrsin likes Hendricks with a splash of Johnny Walker Red scotch that he got from his dad’s stash ten years ago. He calls it a dirty martini. Obviously he doesn’t drink much, cause 10 years, same bottle.
I’m a G&T girl and Bombay Sapphire is not my fav at all. I was totally disappointed when I got back from the UK and found out it wasn’t blue :smack: I like Tanqueray better for G&T’s. YMMV.
Another vote for Hendricks, though it isn’t really a traditional gin, what with all the cucumber notes.
For that more juniper-ish gin, I really like Blaum Brothers, a small producer in Galena, Illinois.
Anchor Distilling Junipero is also a delight, though not likely easy to find.
I’ll have to pick up a bottle of Dolin; thanks for the tips.
The Blaum Brothers looks awesome, and of course, probably impossible to find if you don’t live in the Upper Midwest.
Kolak, how would you compare Blaum’s to Junipero?
EDIT: Glad I could help steer you away from Hendrick’s, silenus. Given what you said, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t like it. More for the rest of us… Aren’t you in SoCal, silenus? Have you tried any of Ballast Point’s efforts in distilling? I’ve seen them, heard some good things, but, as you’d expect from their beer pricing, they ain’t cheap. Just wondering if I should take the plunge.
You are obviously a man of good taste.
I can’t imagine Tanqueray Rangpur for a martini. I’m not big on flavored gins, but Tanqueray Rangpur is my go-to gin for G&Ts–you don’t even need a lime.
I came here to suggest The Botanist Gin. It’s Scottish and hails from Islay, where some of my favorite Scotch is produced. It’s great in a fairly dry martini. If you don’t like it, I’ll personally finish it for you so nothing goes to waste.
MM28’s martini:
2 oz Bombay Sapphire; 1/4 oz Dolin dry; 2 dashes grapefruit bitters, 2 olives
MM28’s Manahattan:
3 oz Copper Fox Rye, 3/4 oz Dolin sweet, 3 dashes Fee Bros Walnut bitters, 2 Luxardo maraschino cherries
That’s pretty much what I bought it for. I think the martini gin is going to come down to Bombay Sapphire, Beefeaters or Citadelle for now. Experiments will commence this weekend! Picked up both sweet and dry Dolin, so some Manhattans will be made as well.
I love Science.
Results - Cocktail #1: Manhattan
3 jiggers Bulliett rye
1/2 jigger Dolin sweet vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 Luxardo cherries, plus one stirring spoon of cherry juice
Stirred, not shaken.
Amazing. My usual recipe, but with the Dolin vermouth. Quite a lot “brighter” and oh so tasty.
Much grass, those of you who suggested Dolin.
Blaum Brothers has a distinct coriander note to it while the Junipero has a more assertive juniper/citrus component. I like both but given my location Blaum Bros. is easier to find. And if you ever run across their Oak Aged Gin, it is definitely worth trying.
I do something between stirring and shaking; I gently swirl the shaker until it frosts. The drink is colder than stirring, but not as cloudy and diluted as shaking.