SURVEY OF GINS

Summer and exotic botanicals; a salubrious pairing…

BRAND: TANQUERY

BOTTLING: London Dry Gin

STRENGTH: 94.6 proof

PRICE: 32 USD, 750 ml

Features handsome graphics and bottle evoking Imperial Britain and an alluring GQ styled television adverts, perhaps to a fault. Tanquerary is sold at the price point of super premium gins, but this is less a function of its excellence than the integrated costs of its shi-shi marketing campaigns.

     Bottled at 94.6 proof however, it is neither negligent of poor concentration (80 proof is standard for hard liquor, and 90 proof is the benchmark for single malts and gins), nor suffer from weak infusion of botanicals. But its resulting palette lacks balance and clarity; the drinker is smothered with pine and harsh citrus peel, rather than a medley of subtle botanicals.

    Tanquerary, and its competitor gin, Bombay Saphire, both have questionable pedigree… their distilleries are committed first to speculated market demands and not their craft.

     Tanqueray’s marketing budget is a red flag. And their array of new bottlings released in recent years: TANQUERAY RANGPUR, an 80 proof gin, heavily infused with ginger and citrus drank more as a pre-mixed cocktail than a bottle of hard liquor. TANQUERAY NO. 10, a quadruple distilled gin trying to be vodka, was only suited for martinis of nouveau riche investment bankers.
      Bombay Sapphire, in contrast, suffers from weak aesthetics. Their gin is produced through “vapour infusion”, Bombay Sapphire’s hi-tech method that makes for unremarkable results. Ultimately is the issue of its production by BACARDI, who although has no relation to the Bacardi distillery founded in Santiago de Cuba in 1862, has been producing rubbish Puerto Rican rum under the same name since the 1962 embargo as Cuban copyrights ceased to be acknowledged. Bacardi has no business distilling rum nor gin.

     Tanqueray’s one calling is the gimlet. Where other gins are smothered by the lime juice, Tanqueray’s piney backbone integrates with and compliments the lime.

MONTECRISTO SYNDICATE DESIGNATION: none

PREFERRED COCKTAIL: gimlet

BRAND: BROKER’S

BOTTLING: London Dry Gin

STRENGTH: 94 proof

PRICE: 22 USD, 750 ml

Broker's Gin is SPECIALLY BLENDED TO BE DRY...not unlike the British sense of humour.

…Courtesy of Brokers’ egregious website.

With its silly Bowler Hat accessory it’s easy to dismiss; but this accoutrement may be detached and discarded. Its label has a kitsch Victorian appeal; more urban than aristocratic. Bottled at 94 proof, Brokers is poised for mixing, but with restraint! Achieving a complex and articulated palette is where Broker’s succeeds and others fail. 10 botanicals are used: Macedonian Juniper, Bulgarian Coriander seed, Italian Orris root, Indian Nutmeg, Chinese Cassia Bark, Madagascan Cinnamon, Sri Lankan Liquorish, Spanish Orange + Lemon peel, and Belgian Angelica root.

MONTECRISTO SYNDICATE DESIGNATION: CRU BOURGEOIS

PREFERRED COCKTAIL: Gin Martini or simply topped with club soda and lemon.

BRAND: BEEFEATER

BOTTLING: London Dry Gin

STRENGTH: 94 proof

PRICE: 24 USD, 750 ml

While once the benchmark of premium gin, with the advent of “ultra premium” gins, Beefeater has fallen out of fashion in recent years (not unlike Stolichnaya with Vodka), and for no good reason. The classic Beefeater label exudes of the Crown and Sword. This is the smoothest drinking London Dry Gin. Less complex in taste than Broker’s; Orange peel from Seville and Juniper berry pervade on the palette. Unlike Brokers, most bars and liquor stores carry Beefeater. Not as recommended for Martinis as Brokers, for it lacks the astringency to cut the vermouth.

MONTECRISTO SYNDICATE DESIGNATION: CRU BOURGEOIS

PREFERRED COCKTAIL: Simply topped with club soda and lemon.

BRAND: PLYMOUTH

BOTTLING: Original

STRENGTH: 83 proof

PRICE: 36 USD, 1 L

No other gin is synonymous with British sea-power as Plymouth. Since the 18^th century, the Royal Navy was issued Bermuda Rum for sailors and Plymouth Gin for officers. Plymouth was also the preferred gin of Winston Churchill. Plymouth is not London style gin; its flavor is less dry, slightly sweet, and much earthier. No other gin matches Plymouth for smoothness and depth of flavor. Pink Gin was the preferred officer’s cocktail; gin, a dash of Angostura bitters and water as needed. The bitters heighten the gin’s earthy flavors and impart a refreshing pepper-mint finish, and help to alleviate sea-sickness. Plymouth also produces a 57% ABV NAVY PROOF bottling, as issued to the Royal Navy;  all liquor aboard naval ships were distilled to overproof (exceeding 50%) so as if spilled on gunpowder ignition was not compromised.

MONTECRISTO SYNDICATE DESIGNATION: GRAND CRU

PREFERRED COCKTAIL: Original_ Pink Gin or simply topped with club soda and lemon. Navy Strength_ Gin martini, Gimlet, or any well engineered cocktail.


BRAND: HENDRICK’S

BOTTLING: Original

STRENGTH: 88 proof

PRICE: 38 USD, 1 750 ml

Contained in a chic onyx glass medicine bottle, and receiving no shortage of hype in recent years. Its additional infusion of rose petals and cucumber alongside the classic juniper distinguishes it from the rest. Floral and elegant, but to a fault. Its delicate flavor is easily smothered when mixed, and unlike Plymouth, too dry to drink straight. Expensive.

MONTECRISTO SYNDICATE DESIGNATION: none

PREFERRED COCKTAIL: Topped with soda, a measure of cold sake, and a sage leaf.

RELFECTIONS, B.C.V.C.B IV

After the evening rush hour: Boulevard traffic sustains. Side streets are cleared and market kiosks erected. Aromas of charred, tamarind soaked, beef fills the air, emanating from charcoal grills under a massive yellow tent.

      Spring rolls are served well blistered on the surface, filled with crisp julienned vegetables and pork inside. Brochettes seared to medium doneness, caramelized and glistening. Stir-fried vegetables tossed in sesame oil and sautéed garlic round out the meal. Pulpy fresh fruit shakes, fortified with coconut-cream, aid in rejuvenation at day’s end.

      Ho Chi Minh markets feature an extensive cache of antiques and spurious accessories: old Nikon bodies and lenses, automatic-movement watches, Ray-Ban replicas, and vintaged Zippo lighters. Perhaps salvaged from American G.I.’s and French colonists decades before, and thence cared for until their return as tourists, eager to consume tokens of their own self-romanticized eras… American youth who grew up watching Forest Gump and Apocalypse Now, listening to Jimi Hendrix, purchasing a pair of Ray-Ban aviators.

      Cameras and optics have been well maintained. Old Rolex oysters appear frequently; minor replacements as straps or glass cases may be necessary. Still these are a bargain at well under 80 USD. The Zippos are handsome, featuring detailed engravings of PBR boats, huey choppers, maps, insignia, and other motifs. The flipsides were engraved with often misspelled phrases.

Locals resting in public was not an uncommon practice. I would expect this in Barcelona, not so much in Ho Chi Minh.

RELFECTIONS, B.C.V.C.B III

     We entered from the south: Ho Chi Minh City (the former Saigon). Mosquitoes cease to be an issue, but the heat persists. Motor scooter prevails as the primary mode of commuting. Swarms of motorists consume the roads, vastly outnumbering the less agile automobiles, and concede little right of way. Commuting by scooter one is subject foremost to the ebbs and flows of the swarm; one cannot move in a determinist fashion from point A to point B. This makes scootering in HCMC grueling, even masochistic, until late evening when night markets have closed. During the day, pedestrian circulation is an afterthought. Even modest streets are teeming with scooters congesting the roads, and vendors displacing pedestrians on sidewalks.

     Informal home-made/self-organized eateries predominate; typically several pots of food and array of Playskool chairs on the sidewalk and no storefront. Pho and spring rolls are available without fail. The pho suffers from weak aromatics. The heat and congestion of the city thwarts access/distribution of perishable herbs and produce; basil and cilantro whither from heat and condiments attract insects.

     We encountered an exceptional spread of stews at one stand. Flavors ranged from spicy to murky to fishy to vibrant. She cooked her rice short of becoming mushy, and blanched her vegetables to a crisp green, demonstrating her command of the kitchen.

      Iced coffee, available throughout any block, helps to cool off and sustain in the heat. Vietnam cultivates robusto beans; of lesser quality than aribica beans. The Vietnamese coffee industry is young, relative to that of Indonesia, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa, but it has had a detrimental effect on the industry since the 1980s when Vietnam flooded the global market with its cheap, poor-quality, robusto stock. Undiversified Latin American economies were hit hardest, namely Brazil. Quality of coffee beans in the global market declined for years following, in attempts to compete with cheap Vietnamese exports. Demand for higher-quality aribica would later resurge due to the success and spread of the Starbucks Corporation and the consumption of euro-styled coffee drinks were integrated into the daily routine of American bourgeoisie.

     The tiny robusta bean makes a potent, almost harsh, brew of coffee. But this concentrated brew is the ideal when poured over ice and fortified with sweetened condensed milk; robust and delicious.

RELFECTIONS, B.C.V.C.B II

     

     The flat terrain of Siem Reap is easily negotiated on bicycle (available at nearest gas station or hotel, 1 USD per day. Single speed steel cruisers with baskets and rear mounts are standard issue. The cyclist sits upright, poised for receiving the landscape and the breeze. The cruisers’ heavy-gauge steel frames make for a supple and forgiving ride.

     

     Ciggerette/water/beer kiosks appear regularly on any trail, but watch closely for a barbeque chicken stand; don’t pass this one.

     

     Likely marinated in a blend of vinegar, cane juice, chili, lime, and tamarind. The sugar and vinegar effectively brine the poultry, optimizing its chemistry for succulence. And tamarind has never done anyone no wrong… at once fruity, but savoury. Zesty, yet lingering and complex.

A whole chicken is served freshly seared and cut into quarters, trimmed of any feet, and a chili-lime vinaigrette on the side. 5 USD. Among the best meals on our expedition. Seek out the aroma of tamarind and a charcoal fire anywhere you are and you wont be betrayed.

There were also crickets; didn’t interest me.

REFLECTIONS, B.C.V.C.B I

Swine flu was all the rage that summer. Regardless of scale, Hong Kong International to Siem Reap, each airport/national-threshold required thermal scanning for admission. Climate: French Colonial… humid, lush, streets filled with scooter driven carriages, aromas of crusty baguettes, gingery broths and jasmine rice. Men wear officious shirts with epaulets on their shoulders, and women apply whitening creams on their faces.

  A consumable-fruits vendor expertly skins petite pineapples with his paring knife. The milling may appear ornamental, but the spiral course is a function of efficient stud removal along the pineapples surface. Finally the pineapple is sliced into 6 longitudinal sections, each speared with a robust skewer; a veritable fruit kebab.

  He also offers fists of stubby banana. The skin is naturally peppered, these are not blemishes. Stubby banana was traditionally reserved for “nobility” I am told… likewise French colonialists and western tourists. The taste is sweet and mellow, and there is a satisfying spring to its bight, like bread made with proper, high-gluten flour. Both are sold for 1 USD. Payment by € or GBP is not recommended in Cambodia and Cambodian tender is generally issued only as change, not for payment.

  Should you purchase a fist of stubby banana, the vendor will tie a loop of twine around the stems so the bananas may hang from your wrist.