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Cheap Gin. Tesco Gin is cheap. I don’t have a problem with it. There’s plenty of good gins at good price points out there. David T. Smith from Summer Fruit Cup told me Tesco uses a base spirit distilled from molasses, That’s somewhat unusual among inexpensive bargain gins— So how did this molasses-base hold up in tasting?
Tasting Notes
Tesco Gin begins pleasantly. A tingle of citrus and a prickle of juniper. This all gives way to an intense and sudden burst of heat. The sharp heat blurs the mid notes and gives away to a finish which is lingering, slightly burning, and leaves a bitter aftertaste in the mouth.
Though the aftertaste has intimations of the juniper and citrus, it’s still somewhat harsh. The base spirit is completely neutral and rather thin. And it brings a fair amount of heat.
Cocktails
But you’re not going to drink this gin neat like I am right now. It mixes nicely. The bitter juniper finish isn’t completely done away with, but a nice element of sweetness like a tonic water or some citrus cuts it. But the only way to really make it go away I guess is to use a super sweet sour mix or something.
Tesco Gin is completely acceptable in a Gin and Juice or with a supermarket tonic like Schweppes or Canada Dry. Or with a bitter lemon like Canada Dry Bitter Lemon.
If you’re buying Tesco, that might be what you plan on using it with. If you’re looking for a gin for a proper Tom Collins, I might recommend you look elsewhere.
Overall, Tesco Gin
Tesco Gin is a cheap gin with a certain audience in mind. If you’re having a party and you need a lot of cheap gin, then you probably already know what you’re in for.
I just love that ridiculous ‘value price’ packaging. It makes it look like charcoal lighter fluid or some sort of odd chemical.
I haven’t had the pleasure, but look at the packaging of Trader Joe’s gin: http://blog.undisputed.net/2011/03/booze-of-week-trader-joes-rear-admiral.html
Yep, it’s a supermarket brand. But there’s nothing about being a supermarket brand that says you have to look like one. I mean, sadly Tesco gin didn’t stand on its own- bottle design aside. But I think that it could inch towards credibility with a little bit of a makeover.
@Jellydonut and @Aaron; The entire “Value” line (including this gin) has since been updated with “Everyday Value” labelling that’s less wilfully harsh, but still semi-generic and identifiable as such.
*However*, it should be noted that this is the cheaper of Tesco’s *two* own-brand gins. The non-Value one has much more presentable (and less generic) labelling, so it’s probably sensible on their part that they differentiate the lower-midrange regular own-brand from the *really* cheap stuff.