New Amsterdam Gin

Well the gin rabbit hole turns out to be a deep one, go figure, but Stephanies "herbal sweet orange peel" notes seem pretty accurate, the Stratosphere gin is sold at 80 proof here in the states. It delivers a nice sweet punch with a dry finish, a very acceptable gin for the price, making it a good budget conscious choice for gin drinkers. It also evens out standard tonic nicely yielding a moderately sweet and flavorful drink and the notable lack of over bearing juniper and the evil anise are both appreciated. At worst it will save you from taaka or mccormicks gin and that alone is worth a nod, and if you need a standard 80 proof (low for gin) for whatever reason, it gives you an option. It kind of nudges its way into the Beefeater and Gilbeys lineup as a decent but unassuming choice, not bad at all. Cheers!

New Amsterdam “might as well be vodka” Gin. All I have to say is, after making 2 gin and tonic’s, I rechecked the bottle 3 time thinking I accidentally bought vodka… So I finally took a few sips of it straight up to check it. It wasn’t until then that I could finally just test the juniper. On its own it was kinda nice and mild… However, unless you don’t like gin but still want to drink it straight for some reason, I would never recommend it. The only person I know that like to drinking straight gin, is my 94 year old grandfather. So needless to say, I will NEVER buy it again, even to save a few bucks!!! I did just discover something new recently that I’d recommend. If you want a little lighter, smooth and slightly sweeter like Tanqueray, there is a Japanese gin called Roku. Loved it! Give it a try

Here in Orlando on business, and decided to go out for take out Pho. Next to the Pho place at the strip mall is this wine and spirits store. I figured I'll buy a small sample size of something--red wine, bourbon, whiskey, or even gin. So...the only small size they have is one of Jim Beam "fire" ( is that jalepeno bourbon? Or cinnamon bourbon? Either way, looked like something I already need to be drunk just to have it), and small size of this New Amsterdam gin. Probably a choice of bad and "spit out bad". Just when I was starting to like gin, I come across this distillery reject. Way too sweet and almost "artificial". Where's the juniper and pine cones? The coriander and grassy taste? Instead it's Splenda and orange juice. Should've stuck with just the Pho, and save myself $2.50.

Tasted neat. Much sweeter on the nose than Bombay Sapphire. This is flowery, sugary sweet compared to Bombay's meatier, more juniper-laden richer nose.There is a solid ethanol background. On the tongue this is light, not particularly crisp and sweet like frosted breakfast cereal. In comparison the Bombay brings pepper, bitter orange, pine and a cleaner finish. The New Amsterdam isn't as complex, but it's not bad. In a sour or other mixed drink the NA is tasty. Not a Martini gin by any stretch of the imagination, though. I rate on a scale of 1 to 5 where a 1 is a drain pour and a 5 is a perfect representation of the expression. Most mass market liquor should rate between a 2 and 3 following a bell curve. New Amsterdam gin is absolutely in the average range.

Without initially knowing what a "modern" gin, I immediately preferred this one to other gins I've tried. It has a lovely citrus-forward scent. It's refreshing to sip and tastes like the zest of an orange--bright with a hint of pepperiness and a mild bitter "aftershock" that isn't overpowering. This is the first gin I've tried that I'd actually be happy to sip cold and neat. If, like me, you've found other gins overwhelmingly herbaceous, I'd give the one of these American-style gins a try. This one is not expensive, so it's probably a good place to start.

Yeah this just isn't gin. Treat this as an orange-infused vodka. If you think of it that way, it's actually not a bad flavor. I mentioned notes of orange creamsicle in the New Amsterdam vodka, but good gravy that taste is here in spades. It's a very one dimensional flavor profile, finishing with some lemongrass and barely a wisp of juniper. Works rather well in mixed drinks due to the creamsicle nature, as long as you're able to build around the orange profile. For ten bucks it ain't bad, just be aware of what you're buying.