The discussion around New Amsterdam Gin on the internet seems to be alike “gin snobs don’t like it because of its citrus-forward approach. I’d like to dispel that notion first and foremost. The citrus-forward perspective is NOT a reason unto itself. Here at The Gin is IN we’ve prided ourselves in reviewing contemporary style gins as spirits worthy of discussion on their own merits. We don’t penalize spirits for having a different take on gin. Lacking in juniper alone is not grounds for a bad review.
Launched in 2007 New Amsterdam Gin was right at the fore of the Contemporary Gin explosion stateside. Combined with an aggressive marketing presence throughout the last decade. New Amsterdam or “New-Am” has won over quite a following. Priced at an affordable point and curated with a citrus-forward perspective, it (especially at the time) was unlike anything else available. Accessible and smooth, it has won people over and endures despite never being quite afforded the same esteem (by gin and cocktail experts at least) that enduring favorites like Bombay Sapphire, Beefeater, Tanqueray, or Gordon’s have. Why is that?
Tasting Notes
The nose of New Amsterdam Gin is immediately recognizable as citrus-forward. Light lemon, candied orange, herbaceous juniper hovers at the fringes, with even a slight note of angelica in the lower notes. It’s aroma is citrus-forward but not to the exclusion of other touches.
The palate is a citrus bomb however. Perky citrus, a smidge of lemon oil, candied orange rinds, orange slice candy, and an interesting lime/orange shift right in the mids. There’s a hint of ethanol during this mid-palate lull, which segues into a burst of citrus candy, lime/orange/lemon skittles primarily. The finish is short to moderate in length, with mostly citrus. The citrus dominates the palate, almost completely to the exclusion of any other notes.
Cocktails
The Gin and Tonic, which seems to be the most popular New Amsterdam Gin cocktail doesn’t hide the reasons why: clear and bright, it tastes like an orange led gin and tonic with a touch of lime towards the finish just out of the bottle. Perhaps a bit cloying, or to its critics, more like an orange flavored vodka, but it’s not hard to see how this could win people over.
I tried it in a Bees’ Knees. Although I liked the way the real citrus rounded out the gin’s flavor profile, warming up the citrus touch with some acidic and tart touches which lifted it, I found it overall to be lacking. I was looking for something more. The gin seemed to be a sleeping giant, relegated to the background. Anyway, honeyed citrus salad, fresh lemon, and a clean, crisp finish. Drinkable, but the gin isn’t doing much for it.
Next, I tried a Negroni. The short answer is dial it up to a 2 parts to 1 part Sweet and 1 part Campari minimum if you want to taste any of the gin. It was completely obscured, and didn’t add anything to the cocktail.
Parting Thoughts on New Amsterdam Gin
Concluding, New Amsterdam Gin isn’t a below-average gin because of its citrus flavor. It’s a below average gin because the citrus notes in it don’t taste real or authentic. They taste like artificial citrus essences being added after distillation. Or alternatively, perhaps they are real, but New Amsterdam adds too much sugar post-distillation.
The gins that New Amsterdam Gin most closely reminds me of are Asian gins such as Myanmar Dry Gin. Moreso than citrus-forward distilled gins such as Larios 12, Bluecoat, Pinckney Bend, Black Button’s Citrus Forward Gin, Chase’s Orange Flavored Gin, Seersucker Gin, etc. If you like citrus-forward gin, there’s a lot of gins which bring that flavor to the party, but do so through distillation alone and don’t add flavors/sweetening post-distillation.
I think my objection to New Amsterdam Gin is that the citrus tastes artificial and fake. Citrus and gin go hand in hand. But fake citrus is not a flavor I particularly like in my cocktails or drinks.
So certainly, if you love this gin, by all means continue to enjoy it. But I’d like to encourage you to try any of these gins mentioned above or any future gins we may suggest which are citrus forward.
Thanks for reading and keep enjoying gin, whether you agree with me or not.
Overall
Juniper is an afterthought, but that’s not really this gin’s primary issue. Fake citrus flavors abound. It’s accessible, but the fake citrus is what helps it read more as a citrus-flavored-vodka than a citrus-flavored-gin. It’s a inexpensive gin that will have fans of classic style gins crying “uncle.” Fans of contemporary gins may find something to like here, but seasoned gin drinkers will likely have already found a gin of this style that does it with a little more grace and without the cloying sweet notes.
Tried it once and never again. It lacks any body and had vanilla notes. Definitely, not something gin should have. Its price continually drops at BevMor.
bought a bottle and poured a chilled bit over a few olives. Sat back, took a sip and spit ip out. Way too much orange for a gin, really just a flavored vodka.
I have to agree with Auntie and daniel. I hated this so-called gin. Recommended at my favorite liquor store as one of the most “drinkable” low-cost gins. It does not taste like gin to me: I could find no juniper, which is an appealing, compelling, necessary aspect of what I expect and cherish in my gin.
I drink a coule of gin and tonic most nights of the week. Sure it has a citrus taste but that’s why we normaly add the lime! I actually love this gin. It’s simple and a little tangy also at a very reasonable price. At my stage in life I can afford to drink any gin I want to but I am also a scots man! And this works for me.
I tried this “gin” a few years ago, too. I failed to detect any juniper at all. If someone had served it to me on the rocks, or mixed with a little bit of club soda, I would have assumed that it orange vodka. Tasty orange vodka. Lousy gin. 🙂
Too sweet, metallic, and lime makes it worse. Will never get it again.
In addition to too much work, 2013 has been a great year in that I have been conducting a lot of “research” about which gins please me. I must say that New Amsterdam was one of my least favorite. In fact, as others have said, it tastes like flavored vodka. What was even worse, at least for me, was that the orange flavor tasted very artificial, almost like cheap hard orange candy. So if I were ordering a lower priced gin, I would look elsewhere.
No juniper at all. It hardly even tastes distilled with actual plant material. Rather it tastes like a vodka that has been artificially flavored with orange essence. And at that, the orange essence tastes synthetic.Thats the nose. The neutral spirit is clean and does not have any off residual flavors of the GMO corn it was probably produced with.
This was the gin that convinced me that I preferred “traditional” London style dry gin. Awful. Luckily I bought a mini-bottle to sample. Had I paid for the 750ml bottle, even at it’s bargain price, I would’ve been mad at myself. If price is a concern, I’d go with the Gordon’s every time.
Ben I completely understand. I’d hope you wouldn’t write off non-traditional gin on the basis of just this one. It’s not really a good example of the style, and definitely doesn’t do justice to the distillers who try to create new flavors while keeping juniper in the background. This is a gin for folks who don’t like gin, plain and simple.
Cheers,
Aaron
Spike, thanks for the comment. I think you’re right. It is probably closer to vodka than it is to gin. Among lower priced gins, it’s probably the only one that embraces a note other than juniper-forward, but I don’t think that really justifies it fully. It could be better, and many gins have done well going full-force with the orange note. But not quite here.
Well, let me be the one person who actually likes this gin. It makes a very good martini — though better with a lemon twist than an olive, to complement its citrusy flavor. In my opinion, it’s unbeatable for its price point. And I agree with the review, that it’s more accessible than other cheap gins, which basically just taste like juniper and alcohol and nothing else.
THAT’S THE POINT! THERE IS BARELY ANY JUNIPER! If we start defining gin by it’s juniper content, then we have become shallow “gin elitists.” Take it for what it is and get over yourselves. If you don’t like it, don’t drink it. But don’t point out the obvious and call it a flaw.
Marvelous; absolutely loved it.
I’ve always liked gin, and tangueray was my go to. I’m 30, somewhat inexperienced with the stuff and new tangueray was decent (as per Snoop Dogg). so, I was low 9 funds one day and saw this New Amsterdam stuff. Is it Tangueray? No. Is it decent, at $20 for 1.75? Hell yeah! Great gin for a non-connoisseur light on funds.
I had to buy a new bottle of Bombay Sapphire for the house. It was $40 for a 1.75 ml bottle and right next to it was New Amsterdam for half the money, so I bought both figuring someone will drink it when we have parties if we didn’t like it.
My biggest fear before I tasted it was that it would be harsh or “oily”. If anything, I found it a bit “lacking”. It’s fine in a G&T. Yes, I prefer the Bombay or Hendricks (it was $55 for the 1.75 ml bottle).
I’m going to put some of the New Amsterdam in a container and drop in a few juniper berries from the yard.
Now all this talk of gin has me hankering for some nice, smokey single malt.
I’m bummed that I didn’t read these reviews earlier. My G&T tastes like an orange creamsicle:(
Smells like it too. Has this awful artificial orange smell to it. Wish I hadn’t bought a 1.75l bottle of it. Should have followed my instinct when I read “modern American Gin”.
Waste of money.
It will just have to sit in my cupboard until I can pass it off at a party as a “generous” donation.
Wow! My favorite Gin reviled. I love, love, love Hendricks, and always have a bottle in my “private reserve”. But I find that New Amsterdam is a very refreshing after work gin with my favorite tonic water. I’ve always found it amusing that the “place your beverage, automobile, motorcycle, tourist-trap or what-have-you” snobs always have to try to polarize the rest of the public into thinking that somehow, thou art better than I. Well, if it it makes you feel better, fine, go for it. But snobs are snobs, and it appears that they abound. As a wise sage once said: “Opinions are like ass-holes, everyone has one”. That’s not to say that I found the review overly un-fair. It was a 2.5 out of 5 on the snob scale. But the comments that followed were like a bunch of lemmings headed for their top-shelf gin-induced dive off the snob cliff.
Cheers!
Thanks for generating such a great discussion.
I’m fairly new to cocktails and just getting my “feet wet.” I brought home a bottle of New Amsterdam this evening and we’re in the process of our own experimentation.
The entire debate seems to focus on style. London dry vs. American. Historically I would agree with @Ben D but I’m willing to give New Amsterdam a stab. I’m not expecting Juniper, so we’ll see what happens.
Cheers!
I am a big fan of this gin, probably for the very reasons others dislike it. I am not a big fan of the juniper flavor, so this is perfect for my cocktails. I have tried other gins that are loved by gin drinkers and the difference really is obvious. I can respect that appreciation too. However, for my home bar, this is a regularly purchased brand.
Btw. Thanks for the reviews and ideas on this blog. It is great fun to read.
this is a lovely G & T gin, smooth as silk with no rough edges. I like citrus notes and juniper is so 1910. A new world and a new gin! Vive Le difference!
To be honest New Amsterdam is one of my favorite gins second only to Hendricks and I like ot because it doesn’t taste like juniper if i wanted that i would buy tanqueray…
Reading earlier comments, I think I get where everyone is coming from. As an emerging gin enthusiast, I bought a bottle because, frankly, buying Dorothy Parker or Miller or other favorites is not something I can sustain too regularly and still put my kids through college. I liked it at first – it was different, did seem to have a distinctive flavor, and was easy to take. However over time, I’m enjoying it less – I’m starting to find it a little bit cloying. I may go back to Seagram’s next for my cheap summer G&T’s, which used to be my go-to before I started becoming a gin snob. 🙂
New Amsterdam gin is definitely not for martini drinkers. I always bought Tangueray from Costco and now they don’t carry it any longer and was told by an employee to try the “new popular gin” New Amsterdam, I bought a bottle and….it’s definitely is not for making a martini. Never thought I’d dump a martini but that is what i did!!
I wish I had read this blog before I “splurged” on a small bottle of New Amsterdam. No, no I don’t like it. I’ll drink the rest of it because I don’t believe in waste. And if my research is correct, I don’t think I’ll be liking any American gin, but just to be democratic I’ll try them.
No, don’t give up on American gins please. While I am rather lukewarm on some (Bluecoat and Green Hat come to mind, despite what seems to be critical acclaim), I adore Dorothy Parker and it’s amped-up cousin Perry’s Tot Navy Strength from New York Distilling.
Not to stray from the subject too far, there is a tiny, American distillery in Gloucester, MA that makes an interesting gin. http://ryanandwood.com/products.html
I know some people talk about American Gin as if it were a category- it’s a region, rather than a style. Please don’t let one bad experience, like New Amsterdam turn you off from hundreds of gins, some quite excellent:
If you’re a fan of the slightly more traditional in gins, try Halcyon Gin from Seattle; Denver Dry Gin from Mile High in Denver [both very classic]
https://theginisin.com/gin-reviews/denver-dry-gin/
https://theginisin.com/gin-reviews/halcyon-organic-distilled-gin/
Or for something classically inspired, but very American in execution, try St. George’s Terroir.
https://theginisin.com/gin-reviews/st-george-terroir/
Or as the above poster said, there’s also Dorothy Parker (as the above poster said), I absolutely love it. Recently entered my top 10.
https://theginisin.com/gin-reviews/dorothy-parker-gin/
Muireall- what is your go-to gin?
This gin is perfect for a Negroni. I like the fact that it doesn’t stampede the palate with a ten foot juniper. The juniper is there, but it is subtle, which isn’t easy for such a distinctive and dominant berry. I like New Amsterdam and I suspect if it were three times the price the gin snobs would be raving.
read some of the reviews , don’t know what they are talking about when they say Amsterdam is not good. i love it. when i go out and have a gin and tonic I ask if they have Amsterdam and if they say no i tell them they need to get it in their bars and restaurants. it is that good.
Try Roundhouse from Boulder CO. Awesome!
look at the double blinds awards its won obv cannot be as bad as you make it out to be, 90-95 pts consistantly. while I agree its low on juniper its due to the presence of more citrus not a lack of juniper, the ‘fake’ orange you are tasting is in fact the juniper mixing with citrus. I put it close to the rangpaur style tanq but cheaper smoother and more citron than lime.
Best gin I ever tasted I love juniper smell as much as Christmas and I really enjoy the flavorful abundance of the juniper berries in new Amsterdam gin and it goes down smooth I lemon and lime fresh squeezed ice cold or just shooting a shot just the right amount of alcohol for a borderline alcoholic
I love gin, and i really enjoy New Amsterdam. My husband, also a gin fan, doesn’t. He calls it a flavored vodka, and complains about the vanilla notes. I’m drinking a lovely New Amsterdam martini right now, with a twist of lemon, stirred, and it pleases me. Not a Hendricks martini, to be sure, but delicious. My favorite cocktail with New Amsterdam, though, is gin and juice {grapefruit juice and a splash of orange juice).
Mind you, New Amsterdam Gin was sitting next to my almost favorite Bombay Saphire. (The one with pepper is bolder & is difficult to find) At 19.99 is was pricier than its sister Vodka at $13.95, which I had tried some time ago. The bottle appears bit different than one shown & has the word “straight”. I started reading the reviews & thought I made a bad choice. Well, the plan for tonight was to take a walk or have a drink, chose the latter. I tried NAG straight as recommended & found it ok. I then proceeded to complete a gin & tonic (canada dry). The G & T to my surprise seems good, not great or marvelous. Yes, a bit much sugary & low on the botannicals for my taste. Many point in same direction. I have learned that Gin is an acquired taste which I am kind of new to. So I am learning. I will probably prefer other gins after this one, but I will definitely enjoy this one, relaxed & will take the walk another day.
My daughter found this when we in the third and last week of our holiday in Florida. We both loved it, very different but very drinkable with a slice of lemon and not too much tonic. We only just managed to get through a 75cl and a 1.75 bottle before coming home. We cannot get it in the UK so we will have to wait for our next trip in 2 years time, perhaps, to sample it again.
I am new to New Amsterdam Gin. I truly love it….no lime just ice GIN and Tonic, must be Sweepes tonic or it will taste bad.Love the gin just have a gripe with CAP.
Especially ON 1.75 litre. It is so soft aluminum that once opened the cap is finished. Need a better cap. [email protected]
Tried it for the first time today.
It’s slightly better than the uber cheapo stuff you see on the bottom shelf, or the crap you catch less than honest bartenders using as ‘well’ booze.
Since it already tasted like orange bitters, that’s what I mixed it with.
An orangy orgy of marmalady delights? A mimosa overdosa?
It was interesting, but I’ll stay with Gordon’s when I can’t afford better and Tanqueray when I can.
A big fan of New Amsterdam No. 485 Gin, I think it makes a great martini, just a couple drops of vermouth. Love it in a G&T as well. Also a fan of Bluecoat and Pinckney Bend. We can agree on Plymouth though. Different strokes for different folks.
Well I read all the reviews starting in 2012 and moved on to 2015. I thought some of these experienced Gin drinkers might learn more over time…but no!
I first discovered New Amsterdam in its introduction around 2000, apparently it took a while since it has been around for 400 years. I was at a food/wine/liquor tasting at a seminary near my home. The New Amsterdam rep was passing out samples from a decanter filled with New Amsterdam Gin sitting in ice. The Gin had been infused with cucumber slices and long slivers of cucumber rind (skin if you will). It was one of the most refreshing and clean tasting tastes I had since Summer.
I went home and tried cucumber with a selection of Gins I had on hand and nothing compared to New Amsterdam. The next Summer I visited my cousin down South where we spent a 5 day 4th of July celebration on his sailboat and I introduced him to the cucumber martini. It became the hit of the lake. People flag us down pull up next to us and asked to try the infamous cucumber martini. We then would pull our Mason Jar infuser from the freezer. They thought me the wizard from Connecticut (i.e. The Connecticut Yankee in King Authors Court and yes that is where Samuel Clemens lived). I visited my cousin again this Summer and the Cucumber Martini was once again revived.
The thing about something new is you just have to learn what it complements and what compliments it (sorry to dangle my participle). Experimentation is the key and failure is not so bad when you drink your mistakes (I was a chemistry major in college and you could not drink your failures but as I type this the Purple Jesus does come to mind). Being a gardener I experimented with all my vegetables but the cucumber still won. New Amsterdam also won the Bloody Mary experiment. No it failed miserably the Gin and Tonic experiment. For me it is best with vegetables.
If you agree I recommend purchasing an infuser that gives plenty of room for the item to be infused with a strainer just before the pour spout. Keep it in the freezer. An instant cucumber martini to pour straight into your chilled martini glass kept beside the infuser in the freezer! For a little spark put a small sliver of red onion in the infuser (believe me start very small, it will take over quickly if too large).
This was fun! I think I should start my own review site. Next week IPAs!
Stoney
[email protected]
Unduly harsh reviews for a fairly smooth drink. It does taste somewhat artificial and a little flat, but look at its price range. The most damning thing I could say about it is that is has a momentary take away of cough syrup, but it’s very slight and doesn’t make it undrinkable. Most spirits at this range taste bad enough to make you sick; 12 dollar whiskey generally tastes like lawn clippings, 12 dollar vodka usually tastes like lighter fluid, and cheap tequila tastes like…well, tequila. (Take that, tequila, lol).
I’m sure it doesn’t compare to the world’s finest gin’s, and the “flavored vodka” synopsis is pretty fair, but the vodka that is being flavored isn’t half bad. People who said they spewed it the moment it touched their lips are being pretty dramatic.
Had a couple G&Ts with New Amsterdam. It sucks. Yes it’s cheap but it’s too citrus forward. Might be ok in a Tom Collins but other than that skip this as a purchase.
Terrible gin. Had a few G&Ts with this. Too citrus forward. Not sure you can call this gin. Skip. It’s a 1 out of 5 at best.
Total garbage. Terrible taste. Had this in a couple of G&Ts and going to give the bottle away or dump it. Not sure it’s even a 1 out of 5. Skip it. Might be that it’s too citrus forward or that’s too low in alcohol content or both. The citrus is kind of fake/bad tasting. My standby G&T is Sapphire with Jack Ruby Small Batch Tonic syrup.
Tried the vodka at my daughter’s and found very smooth. Being mainly a gin drinker and really liked the flavor and smoothness. Enjoy it on the rocks.
This product really doesn’t taste like gin to me.
If you want a gin with an especially pronounced citrus note, try Tanqueray Malacca. It has a very noticeable lime without obscurring any of the other botanicals.
Jusr tried this product and it really doesn’t taste like gin to me.
If you want a gin with an especially pronounced citrus note, try Tanqueray Malacca. It has a very noticeable lime component without obscurring any of the other botanicals.
Just tried this product and it really doesn’t taste like gin to me.
If you want a gin with an especially pronounced citrus note, try Tanqueray Malacca. It has a very noticeable lime component without obscurring any of the other botanicals.
(Bob–you’re right about Gordon’s. It really is a very good gin for the price. (Much better than New Amsterdam.))
Just tried this product and it really doesn’t taste like gin to me.
If you want a gin with an especially pronounced citrus note, try Tanqueray Malacca. It has a very noticeable lime component without obscurring any of the other botanicals.
I’m not very experienced with gin but I definitely agree with this review. It’s too weak in cocktails (even in a gin and tonic the tonic overpowers it) and even though it has a juniper smell it doesn’t show up in the taste at all. That being said it’s pretty smooth when you drink it neat, it’s really easy to drink it straight. If their vodka is anything like that it must be fantastic. The gin certainly isn’t a bad flavor (I actually like it’s citrus-y flavor even if it’s kind of fake) but it’s disappointing if you’re expecting a gin flavor