A stalwart classic of the Gin World
When looking to add a link to a classic London Dry while uploading our recent Blowing Stones blog to WordPress, I hunted through the archives for Tanqueray’s standard spirit, which we’ve enjoyed many times over the years – so imagine my surprise when all that came up was the brand’s Flor de Sevilla.
I looked across the table at Gin Lover Two, aka hubby and shared this nugget of information and, I own, we stared at each other in disbelief for a few seconds, his mouth was open – I suspect mine was too – we wouldn’t have looked like the sharpest knives in the block at that moment …
While Diageo’s Tanqueray London Dry gin is a favourite of its type, we were sure one of us had written about this tipple, when in fact it had completely gone under our radar. So, time to put it in the spotlight: It’s a classic and popular gin and embodies everything associated with a London Dry. As with us, it is also a staple of many gin shelves and bars, and rightly so. Although not complex, it makes a really very good and crisp G&T, with juniper the predominant character on the nose – perhaps its most standout characteristic.
On the palate, this gin begins with juniper, but finishes with rich hints of spice including angelica root, cinnamon and coriander seed – along with a lemony zing, while the finish is warm, with mainly spice-forward. We enjoy ours with an Indian tonic and a wedge of lime, as recommended by its makers.
It was back in the 1830´s when Charles Tanqueray’s pursuit for perfection paid off to create Tanqueray London Dry, now one of the most awarded gins in the world. Indeed, in a poll by “The World’s 50 Best Bars” (detailed in Drinks International’s The World’s 50 Best Bars Annual Report 2016), Tanqueray ranked best-selling and overall favourite spirit. And at 41.3% ABV, it’s an ideal strength for cocktails.
Which is not surprising, as Tanqueray London Dry is reliable, tasty and good, a stalwart of the Gin World which deserves its place in our larder, as well as an albeit late mention in ginblogger.com
Tanqueray London Dry can be purchased widely at around £20 a bottle.
