Full disclaimer: our method for rating the gins that we’ve tried is not very scientific. We like what we like, and we don’t like what we don’t like. Personal taste is very subjective. That being said, however, we do have some guidelines.
- Choosing the gin for tasting
The fun begins:
Gin seems to have gained considerable popularity over the last few years. There is a vast selection to choose from at the liquor store. So how do we pick a gin for tasting? Marketing works! A bottle that stands out from all of the rest gets noticed. Who know if the gin is going to be to our liking, but if the bottle is attractive, then that just may be the one that gets taken home. Price plays a role as well. Our tasting experience has taught us that it isn’t necessarily the expensive gin that tastes the best. In fact, the really pricy gins get points knocked off their rating. Points are also deducted if the gin is difficult to procure. - Tasting the gin
The best part, of course:
In order to be consistent with our ratings, we first try a gin neat. This gives us a better sense of the botanicals that the gin is infused with. Sometimes these flavours are best unaltered by tonic or soda water. On the other hand, we have found that tonic can often enhance the flavours. There are also a variety of specialty tonics (FeverTree) that pair especially well with certain gins. Tastes can change over time, so we sometimes do a re-taste and update our scores accordingly. - Rating the gin
The subjective part:
Since our individual tastes can vary significantly, we have tried to establish a bit of a scoring system (see our scoring chart).A rating of 4 or 3.5 establishes the gin as good and worthy of repurchacing. A higher rating means that there is something special about the gin, which can be a personal liking for a particular flavour. That is also the case for a lower rating, as in a personal dislike for a particular flavour. As we continue with our tasting of different gins, we are noticing that there is a pattern to our ratings. The standard Dry gins tend to receive a good rating, as they are less affected by special infusions and personal tastes.
We invite you to check our gin scores posted on this website:
Enjoy and please drink responsibly!