New to gin? Your first sip may be an immediate: “nope”, “gimme more” or somewhere in between. Well, there’s a lot more to it than that thank goodness!
We will be delighted to guide you, solo or with friends, the best way to taste gin so you can truly enjoy identifying and comparing the unique botanicals each brand delivers. The tasting method you’re about to learn works whether you’re tasting a brand new purchase, or having a get together featuring 3 or 4 gins. We’ll start with a summary of steps and then expand upon each step later…
Here’s a summary on How to Taste Gin…
To taste gin properly, you’ll need a good space free of other aromatics, the right glass, and a consistent tasting procedure that will help you identify each and every botanical. You’ll also need time and concentration; don’t rush it. With patience and practice, you’ll begin to identify gin brands just by taste.
Now if your goal is to truly understand gins so that you can improve gin cocktails or speak intelligently about their flavors, you should stick around. As promised, we’re going to dive deeper into each of the steps above, starting with the right atmosphere…
Prepare the Right Atmosphere for Tasting Gin
Do your best to choose a quiet, well-lit room, natural light is best, where you won’t be distracted. Alternatively, you can improve your sense of smell by closing your eyes or tasting in darkness. Just avoid harsh, artificial lighting such as fluorescent or high LED.
As mentioned we need the room to be free of other aromatics. That means watch out for innocent things like perfume, heavily scented soaps, cooking smells and odors from home maintenance trying to join the action. They aren’t invited to a gin tasting!
Select the Right Glass Shape for a Proper Gin Tasting
No need to go purchase a special gin tasting kit. Most of them include items you simply don’t need for a proper gin tasting.
However, you will need the right glass shape and you probably already have something suitable. The best glass for tasting gin is one with a bowl for swirling and a curved side to catch the aromas.
Types of glasses for tasting gin
A whiskey snifter, brandy snifter, tulip glass, red wine glass, or as a last resort, pull out Grandma’s punch glass.
All of the above will be better than any tall, straight-walled glass Straight cocktail glasses or juice glasses simply won’t hold on to the aromas you need for a proper tasting.
Now that you’ve got the right atmosphere and the correct glass, let’s get into the best practices for your first gin tasting.
Follow these Rules for a Successful Gin Tasting
First, we highly recommend heading over to our guide page and downloading our free gin guide with placemats.
Each brand of gin is unique based on the blend of botanicals to create a unique flavor but you may not realize where these flavors are coming from at first. In order to really taste gin, it should not be mixed with anything while tasting.
Organize by Proof
If you are tasting more than one gin, work from lowest to highest proof.
Optimal Gin Temperature
Start with room temperature gin, no ice…also known as “neat.” It is best for trying to identify and enjoy many flavors.
Pour Amount
Don’t overfill your glass because you need to swirl to mix in oxygen which pushes the aromas upward. In fact you just want to cover the bottom, you just want a “healthy” sip.
Smell Botanical Aromas
If you want to heighten your taste buds, here is when you’d close your eyes. Now, with your mouth slightly open, sniff gently and slowly. In the same inhale, go back and forth between breathing through your nose and mouth.
Identify Gin Top Notes
Notice citrus, spices, flowers? These initial scents are called the top notes and help you know which botanicals are used. Another method is to wet your palm with the gin, rub your hands together and take a sniff.
Identify Gin Bottom Notes
Next, let the gin coat your mouth and sit on your tongue before you taste and swallow it. Now notice the flavors. Are they similar or different from the nose? Sweet or dry? Spice or wood? Earthy or flowery? Do you taste fruit? Maybe berries? Do you taste citrus? If you do, can you tell if it’s orange or lemon?
Ask yourself how the flavors transition from start to finish. The bottom note is the longest lasting flavor and leaves your last impression.
Improving Your Gin Tasting Skills
Here’s an idea to help you develop your tasting skills. Ahead of time, create flavor profile cards of the gins you’ll be tasting. Even though producers love to create a mystique, most are willing to reveal some botanicals they use.
You can read the labels or check the websites. Keep them face down during tasting. As you are sampling, take notes about what you experience during the “nose”, the “mouthfeel”, the initial taste and the finish.
Try to notice any spicy, fruity or floral notes you like or dislike. Do you taste cinnamon, black pepper or citrus? Try to be specific. Hopefully, you will begin to pick out and match flavors to the featured botanicals.
After, compare your notes to the cards and eventually you will have your own inventory of flavor knowledge. Also keep in mind the style of gin, say an Old Tom variety, will open up another dimension compared to a London Dry. Visit our home page for an in depth explanation of these styles.
Tasting gin is so much fun and a truly valuable exercise to lead you to the brands and styles of gins you like best!
Once You Have Learned to Taste Gin Botanicals
After you’re finished tasting the gins, it is really interesting to see how they do in the same cocktail like the Martini or the easy Gin and Juice. The simple Gin & Tonic is a really great choice because the bubbles in the tonic amplify the flavors in the gin.
It won’t be long before you find which gin you prefer in a particular cocktail and order your drink like an aficionado.
