Normally a Citadel guy, but I've really been enjoying my "budget" gin, New Amsterdam, mixed 2:1 with Dolin Blanco with a twist. Fabulously herbaceous.

Has anyone tried Bombay Sapphire "East" yet? I think it's been out for almost a year now and I've been meaning to get some but it is always out or not stocked by me...

Nothing wrong with New Amsterdam, especially at the price, although 2:1 seems almost Edwardian. My Uncle Bill, a master of Martini mixing and drinking in an age before premium gins were widely available, used to tell me to always buy gin in green bottles for company. Then they would think it was better....

I'm a Gordon's guy, best bang for the buck out there in my opinion at ~$15 for 1.75L in the US. I try not to let my palate advance for fear of damage to the pocketbook.

In my youthful drinking days, there was a time in the US, especially in NYC, when better saloons poured (Dewar's) White Label from the well for Scotch drinkers and stuck with Gordon's for Martinis. Vermouth? The market demanded "French", most often Noilly Pratt, as a cut above the Italians.

Well, yeah. French vermouth is a synonym for dry vermouth, and Italian for sweet. Dry vermouth goes in a martini. :)

There is a small distillery in Germany in the Black Forest. They make a Gin called Monkey 47 and it is one of the best gins I know.

MONKEY 47 Schwarzwald Gin

It is sold in half liter batches and is definitely something special.

So far I've only seen it in SYD but I picked up a bottle the other week on my trip to NRT, I'll let you know what it's like :-)

As far as favourite gin goes...if a bar has cucumber and Hendricks that will always be my choice, elsewise Bombay has to be my staple.

I didn't mine Plymouth Navy Strength though but haven't come across it all that often

I love gin. I hate tonic. Sapphire is an affront to gin (no offense to all you misguided souls).

I actually am a big fan of regular Tanqueray. The strong botanicals are what make the gin for me. I do like Hendricks as well, especially with some cucumber in a Continental or with soda, but prefer Tanq.

Old Raj is nice. Beefeater is decent for a cheapy. Not a fan of Gordons and hate Gilby's (remember when UA was doing that as their well gin). Plymouth is ok in a pinch.

I also really like some of the older style Jenevers that have gained prominence lately.

In order:

Tanq
Hendricks
Tanq 10
Old Raj
Bombay Dry
Beefeater
Plymouth
.
.
.
Sapphire
.
.
.
Gilby's

The best drink on earth is a White Lady.

2 parts gin
1 part Cointreau (and I mean Cointreau)
1 part fresh squeezed lemon juice (sometimes I mix lemon and lime)

Shaken, served up, perhaps a bit of lemon peel.

Heaven.

The booze "flavor" is potent. Sapphire is gin for vodka drinkers, which means I think it is terrible :td:

I like the subtlety of Sapphire. Of course I don't go and let
it touch junk like ice cubes, tonic, or citrus peel.

To me, there's nothing finer than a Plymouth martini. I'll have to try a White Lady some time.

Tanqueray 10 in a very, very dry Martini. Or even with Sprite.
It has a predominant flavour that binds it together, as opposed to standard Tanqueray, and especially compared to Bombay.

Anyone try Damrak? I think its great and not too expensive.

I'm usually a Tanq 10 guy, but recently I've been enjoying Sipsmith's in my dry martinis.

Definitely Hendricks...it even smells like a G&T but with a cucumber scent.