Beefeater Gin was created in the early 1860’s by James Burrough, and the recipie remains nearly unchanged since. It is made from nine hand-picked natural botanicals that are added to the pure grain spirit. Juniper, angelica root and seeds, coriander seeds, liquorice, almonds, orris root, seville oranges, and lemon peel are all steeped for 24 hours prior to the eight-hour distillation. Today, Beefeater Gin is produced in Kennington, London, England.
In case you can’t tell they are proud by the label, the James Burrough Company boasts that they are the only premium London dry gin that is still made in London. In the United Kingdom, the Beefeaters are known as the ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London and also the safeguarders of the British crown jewels. Perhaps the “Beefeater” figure on the bottle symbolizes the company’s desire to embrace their gin-producing heritage, but what the hell do I know? I’m no English major. I just want to embrace liquor.
Beefeater Gin smells very much like traditional gin. The insides of the bottle smell like a fresh pine forest in the winter time. Sipping it on the rocks tastes like consuming a pine forest that has been set aflame. It’s a mild burn, and the juniper flavor is almost so overpowering as to cover it or at least diminish it a bit. It’s not a disgusting taste by any means, but I wouldn’t really go for this stuff on the rocks unless I had to choose between that or sobriety. When combined with tonic water, some of the subtleties of the gin become more apparent. The juniper is still the most overpowering of the botanicals, especially up front, but the citrus botanicals really spring out during the finish. This finish is a very dry one that doesn’t linger too long. If you were to look up gin in a dictionary, Beefeater should be pictured. It’s taste is what I would call textbook gin. It’s focused and good for what it is, but at the same time, nothing special has been added to make me crave it.
Maybe the Beefeater on the front of the bottle isn’t an homage to the English heritage at all, the Beefeater could actually be guarding the dark secret within the bottle. What could this dark secret be? Well, Beefeater simply did not get me drunk. I was shocked! This gin is 94-proof in the United States (80-proof everywhere else), but it didn’t give me anything more than a buzz. I had a total of maybe seven drinks but still felt as though I had only consumed a couple ounces. The buzz itself was light and nice, but I really wanted a drunk that night. Don’t turn to this stuff if you are looking to get hammered. Oddly enough, the next morning, I still had a noticeable headache and a little grogginess. That’s two thumbs down in my book.
A bright spot for this gin is the price. You can get a 750ml bottle for around $17. That makes it a real candidate for a permanent place on the shelf in your home bar. If it did more to produce drunken bliss, I think it would be a good liquor to stock for someone who really enjoys the taste of traditional dry gin. Perhaps I was drinking this stuff on an “off” night. Perhaps this stuff will give you an awesome buzz. Perhaps the Beefeater is guarding a sober little secret. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps you should give it a try and let us know what you think.
Sipability – 6.0
Mixability – 6.5
Drunkability – 4.0
Hangover-ability – 7.5
Bang for the Buck – 9.0
Overall - 6.0 
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Comments
Beefeater is a solid, respectable gin. Nothing fancy, but very good quality and taste. Better than standard Tanqueray in my opinion.
I don’t know how the reviewer couldn’t get drunk off of this, cause it is a strong liquor.
I think Hunter can’t get drunk is because he didn’t like to drink gin that much also maybe it’s not tasty enough to drink enough it to get drunk haha~
You are full of it
If you are only having seven drinks then how the heck do you expect to get smashed?
Drink the whole bottle and then come back and tell us you coudln’t get drunk!
I have to agree with Hunter on this one.
Before I even knew about BoozeBasher, I was familiar with Tanqueray and Bombay Sapphire. I decided to try Beefeater just to change things up. I easily noticed that its drunkability was way too low for its alcohol content. It didn’t make much sense. I even wondered if it was my problem and not the gin’s that I could barely get drunk off the stuff.
I came here looking for some alternative gins with a little more potency. To my surprise, I am apparently not alone in thinking Beefeater comes up short on the drunkability scale. Nice review.
To my taste buds, Beefeater is my favorite amongst the “mid to high class gins”. I don’t care for Bombay. To me, its highly overrated and tastes like it should belong in a first aid kit. Tanqueray’s price doesn’t life up to its contents. Tanqueray’s taste is flat and boring for me.
Beefeater on the other hand is very tasty and I usually drink it straight on the rocks with a lime and lemon twist at the EBM clubs. To me, Beefeater is the most balanced and tastes great for its mid range shelf price. Beefeater is not too strong or not too bland. Hangovers with Beefeater are not as dingy as cheap gin. ( If you experienced a cheap gin hangover you know what i mean when i say bloody dingy hangover.) Beefeater is balanced and it’s aroma won’t make you think of a sterile hospital.
Have you hugged your bottle of beefeater today?
Cheers!
-EBMkid
I used to get Tanquerey for my gin and tonics, and one day had to go with Beefeater because they were out of Tanquerey. For me it’s Beefeater and tonic from now on. It just has an extra something that I don’t get in Tanquerey, though Tanquerey is generally my second choice. Bombay and Bombay Saphire have something extra that doesn’t sit right with me, but maybe that’s personal taste, or maybe they’re better in a different drink.
so far i like beefeater. i was able get 1.75L for $25.49 on sale (usually $37.99). for that price it seems to be definitely worth it. I’m currently drinking 10oz of orange juice with 2oz of sobieski vodka (great review of this wonderful vodka – i got for $16.99 for 1.75L on sale
– under the vodka section) along with 1.5oz of beefeater. i have to say it is a great mix. i’ve just finished one of the drinks and i’m starting to slip past the state of being buzzed into the state of being drunk already. for the most part i agree with the review except for the drunkenness factor. it provides a great taste with all the typically expected flavors of a good quality gin and a great drunken feeling as well. the flavors may be too intense with just gin, so vodka is great for adding because the taste is quite neutral while still allowing the gin to shine through. before beefeater, i didn’t like gin, but i retract this disdain wholly with the addition of beefeater to my collection of liquor.
drink up,
eric
I am rather fond of gin and fell in love with Beefeater the first time I had it in a gin and tonic. It has a nice citrusy flavor that I haven’t found in other gins. I love mixing it with liqueurs and vodka for shots, too. It’s rather inexpensive for a good liquor which is always nice. The downside is that it isn’t carried in nearly as many bars as Bombay Sapphire or Tanqueray.
As far an drunkability, well, I have never had an issue getting a nice, pleasant buzz from this stuff. Me and gin in general get along quite well and I can drink rather large amounts of the stuff compared to most other liquors. I rather like that Beefeater doesn’t make me sloppy drunk even with it’s high-proof.
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