Tanqueray takes a softer look at citrus forward gin.
Tanqueray Rangpur Gin review
Made in: Cameron Bridge, Scotland, by Tanqueray Gordon and Co.
Base: Grain
Method:
41.3% alcohol/82.6 proof
Botanicals : Juniper, Rangpur lime, licorice, angelica root, ginger, bay leaf.. more.
Style: Modern gin.
I first tried Tanqueray Rangpur back in 2006, and to be honest I didn’t much like it. Mainly because it didn’t taste like gin, but more like a cordial. Almost 15 years later I’m revisiting it, for three reasons. My palate has evolved, my opinions may have, and honestly it was the closest Tanqueray product to the door of my liquor cabinet.
In researching this gin, and examining the botanicals I found out that the namesake of this gin, the Rangpur lime isn’t really a lime at all. It’s a cross between a mandrin orange and citron, and is more often called a lemandrin, although in the US it’s called a mandrin lime. It’s far more lemonish in taste than limelike.
This is a distilled gin, not a London Dry gin meaning that not only could it be sweetened, but that flavors, natural or artificial could have been added after distillation - and I strongly suspect they have been.
Tasting notes
You can sip this. It is certainly gentle enough and easy to drink with just ice, or a drop of soda. It’s a sweetened gin so it probably will appeal more to those who don’t like their gin on the rocks.
The aroma of the gin is heavy on the citrus with a mixture of lime, lemon, and grapefruit with just enough juniper to be recognized.
The gin blasts you with citrus, mostly lime, but you can taste other citrus (lemon, grapefruit, mandrin orange) behind it with a light sweetness, that isn’t overwhelming but is quite unmissable. After that you get a light juniper, flavor with some very faint hints of bay and licorice, and just a touch of heat from ginger and menthol there in the aftertaste. The favors are pleasant, but there is a hint of artificiality to it.
The mouthfeel is viscous, oily, and cool.
Mixability:
Since I’m more of a classic gin kind of guy, this isn’t my cup of tea with just ice, or soda. But I had some great hopes for it in mixed drinks.
I was very pleasantly surprised by this in a martini. It was mild, flavorful, and citrus forward. With 4:1 ratio between Rangpur and Noilly Pratt. It was a good martini, and even my non martini drinking companions found it enjoyable. It’s all about citrus - and I liked it garnished with a piece of star anise.
This is hit or miss in a gin and tonic, I can’t say I liked it with a traditional style indian tonic (i used Q traditional tonic), but with a lighter less sweet tonic (I used the London Essence grapefruit and rosemary) it was actually pretty good. I’d stick with that, or try pairing it with elderflower tonic.
In more complex cocktails it was hit or miss. It was excellent in a Gin Gin Mule, solid in a Last Word, and held its own in a Perfect Negroni. This is a gin that will be good in drinks that benefit from citrus, but may not be as good in more complex drinks that don’t call for citrus or additional sweetness.
Overall
This is a love it or leave it kind of gin. If you like sweetened gins, or good citrus forward types of gin this might be one right up your alley. That said I think there are a number of citrus forward gins that do this better, including the distiller's own Tanqueray 10, and without the added sweetness.
This is a specialty gin. It’s certainly not going to be for everyone. Purists like myself won’t fully appreciate this gin. It’s lacking in the juniper, and a far cry from a London Dry due to the sweetness. That said, I found it mixed very well, especially in a mule which was by far my favorite cocktail with it.
There is a place for this gin - and there will be folks who say this is a favorite. While I’m not one of them, I can understand why they would.
Flavor profile
spice 2/5
herbal: 1/5
Juniper 1/5
Floral 1/5
Citrus 5/5
Heat 1/5
Overall rating: 80. This is a solid middle of the road kind of gin, and excellent for a flavored, sweetened, distilled gin, but not up my alley as I’m not a huge fan of sweetened gins, for those who like this sort of thing it’s probably a good 4-5 points higher.
What you need to know about reviews: All my reviews are my honest opinions based upon my own personal tasting. I am NOT a paid reviewer, and no compensation was given, or expected. I may from time to time choose to do a second review and amend my opinion of a product, should I feel like it and find my review criteria has evolved, or that I’ve found it different at a later date. That said, as I’m unlikely to repurchase anything I thought was less than very good to excellent, it would be by chance or at the request of a distiller who thought I rated them very unfairly - BUT even then, whatever you get will always be my honest opinion.
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