I Love "The Raj"

I always try and provide unique information on this blog. These efforts generally direct me towards newer products or obscure, but important, information. In doing so, I hope to improve knowledge and help people to understand and create better cocktails. Additionally, one of the things I am learning about blogging is how much you can learn by investigating issues further in an effort to write better posts (the “Deadly Russian Vodka Crisis” post floored me when I was researching it). However, sometimes, you just want to talk about something that you love and want others to try as well.

I love gin. I love it on the rocks, with tonic, and mixed in my favorite cocktails. I enjoy all types of gin from those that manage to package pure juniper in a bottle to those that orchestrate a complex symphony of herbs and spices. However, if I had to pick just one gin to drink for the rest of my life, I would choose Old Raj. It is an amazing gin with so much to offer. If you have never tried it, you need to do so!

Old Raj is a Scottish dry gin that packs a punch. Unlike most gins, Old Raj carries an alcohol content of 55 percent which would seemingly threaten to cover the complexity of the spirit. However, the gin’s flavors are wonderfully extensive. The reason why I love Old Raj is because it combines so many different flavor types. Some gins (Citadelle is a good example) combine numerous ingredients, but the choices can be too similar, creating a gin with dominant herbal flavors for example. The result can be gins that are one-dimensional. Old Raj provides a gin with noticeable juniper, spices, herbs, and floral tones. The diversity of the flavors in Old Raj is unparalleled, but somehow manages to work together well. Most notable is the presence of saffron which not only gives Old Raj its yellow color, but also provides a trademark flavor.

The best attribute of Old Raj is that it is a universal gin. Sometimes, gin can work well in some cocktails and be horrible in others. Other gins work well independently, and some need to be mixed. Most importantly, certain gins are awesome in martinis, but other gins seem created for the “Postmodern Gin Movement”, which focuses on expanding gin beyond juniper and the spirit’s traditional use in martinis. I have created the term “Postmodern Gin Movement” since my last rant on Tanqueray Rangpur. I like it; you heard it here first. For more information on which gins work best in martinis, check out Eric Asimov’s article on martinis in the New York Times today. I have found that Old Raj works well in each of these situations and has the potential to add so much to cocktails because of its varied flavor profile.

There – I just wrote about something I really liked. That felt great! If you try Old Raj, you will experience a similar feeling. Wow, that whole post made me want some of the “Raj” right now. Unfortunately, I’m out. The stores are closed. I now have plans for tomorrow.

 

By the way, my claim to love “The Raj” should be taken as a term of endearment and in no way should be interpreted as support for colonialism. Me and Ghandi are still cool.