Flavor Profile
Think Pink Gin isn’t just carnation pink in color, but it also boasts (right on the label) as having Natural Cranberry Flavor.
It’s made by Marks & Spencer, a luxury food retailer headquartered in the UK. Now, before you think you know Supermarket Brands, let’s establish something. Some are actually high quality products. Aldi’s Oliver Cromwell ([icon name=”star” class=””][icon name=”star” class=””][icon name=”star-half” class=””]) is pretty good for its standards, while many of the gin brands distributed by Trader Joe’s stateside are actually quite good (more on one of those in the very near term). So to say that just because it’s a supermarket brand, it must be underwhelming isn’t fair. So we’re going to give it a fair shot Even though Cranberry Flavored Gin isn’t a particularly big part of the overall gin market. Even cranberry/gin cocktails are an exception rather than the rule. So let’s think pink for a couple of moments. In today’s impression we try Marks & Spencer Cranberry Flavored Gin.
Impressions
The nose is incredibly sweet, ride with fake blueberry/strawberry candy flavors and aromas. There’s a faint hint of may-be-cranberry tartness down underneath it, but the candy-like aromas dominate heavily.
The palate is incredibly sweet on first flavor, with a sharp acidic tartness building behind it. There’s just a touch of juniper, orange and cassia-like spice towards the finish, but the fake vaguely berry/vaguely cranberry flavor lingers on the edges of the palate for a long time without any appreciable depth. Hollow and largely one-note, that one note doesn’t taste too much like cranberry.
But certainly it’s drinkable. At a relatively low 37.5 proof (common in the UK among inexpensive gins), it doesn’t prevent the drinker with any challenges. You could shoot it, or better yet, drown it with tonic water or soda water, and come out with a drinkable, but likely unsatisfying beverage.
I said that being a supermarket brand shouldn’t be the arbiter or quality in and of itself. It certainly wasn’t the deciding factor. It’s the cheap tasting fake flavorings that turn me off to it, and your mileage with Think Pink gin is likely to rest on your overall feelings about that one specific flavor. I find it hard to recommend, but as with all of the impressions, if given the opportunity to try a larger sample, I will test it in some cocktails.
Overall
An artificial tasting flavored gin that may appeal to those looking for an inexpensive flavored mixing gin; all others are advise to look elsewhere.