Gin

[BensGrandad]

That'll be in a clear bottle then



Did you know that the export stuff is exactly the same as the 40% rubbish. Basically, after the distillation process they have a really stong spirit which they call Export, and of course for shipping purposes it is cheaper %by% to send (export) than a bottle of 40%. They add water to the strong stuff to make the 40% rubbish which is then sold generally in the domestic market. Drinkers in far away lands take their export and 'dilute' it with tonic, or whatever takes their fancy, to a drinkable level.

Much the same as with malt whiskey, you might buy a bottle of cask strength Macallan, or 'as we get it' Glenfarclas, but only an uneducated drinker would drink it at 50-60%, to enjoy it properly you add a little water, effectively bringing it down closer to the 40% mark at which malt becomes most flavoursome.

Wrong most of the domestic market gin like Gordons etc is 37.5% and was reduced to take them into a lower tax bracket and earn the distillers more money as they paid less tax but didn't reduce the price some 10 -15 years ago the same with vodka.

 

[Superphil]

Wrong most of the domestic market gin like Gordons etc is 37.5% and was reduced to take them into a lower tax bracket and earn the distillers more money as they paid less tax but didn't reduce the price some 10 -15 years ago the same with vodka.

37% or 40% same thing really, the tax thing makes sense, I hadn't realised that. Generally the reason for export strength is to get more alcoholic content into the smallest packaging, to help transport costs down. But I guess if you mix your gin, whether 36%, 46% or 60% with some sort of mixer you are diluting it down, which makes it drinkable.

I can think of nothing worse than drinking an export strength spirit like Gin, Malt Whiskey or Brandy without bringing it down a bit with water or mixer. I see people drinking 60%+ malt and proclaiming how wonderful it is, while the alcohol is stinging the crap out of their taste buds.

 

[BensGrandad]

Just a point of interest Brandy loses strength the moment you break the seal originally. When I was stocktaking we would do 'drop'tests' on spirits to ensure that they hadn't been watered but could only do it on Gin, Whisky Vodka and Rum never Brandy because of this.

 

[Superphil]

Whiskey does the same after you've opened it, well, it certainly loses its taste/flavour, but I'm pretty sure I've read it also loses alcoholic strength after its opened. Never gets a chance in our house!

I know whiskey only improves with age whilst it's in te barrels, after bottling the whiskey no longer matures or improves.

 

[BensGrandad]

As I said we could drop test whisky and get an accurate result as to whether or not it was watered and to a certain extent if it was genuine Bells or Teachers and not Tesco own poured into the bottles but as regards brandy we never ever tried it as the results obtained would be inconclusive. Unofficially, I don't think, but wouldn't t swear to it, trading standards do not test brandy either, they ask for samples of all other spirits but never brandy.