Tanqueray Rangpur Gin - Giving Rangpur a Bad Name

As Tanqueray Rangpur is starting to spread across the country, I finally decided to try some and see if it could live up to all the hype. If honestly is a trend on this blog, let’s just get it out there – BAD gin. I didn’t like it neat, on ice, or with tonic. Usually, gin works well in one of these ways if it is a good product, but this gin was just plain awful!

For the record, I am not a gin-Nazi. By this, I mean that I don’t spend all day obsessing about the degrees of juniper in the flavor profiles to determine whether the label “gin” is appropriate. This accusation against more subtle, non-traditional gins being classified inappropriately seems pointless. Do you like the spirit? Can you mix it? Who cares what it is called then! I like traditional style gins like Tanqueray and other lightly-flavored gins like Bombay Sapphire, so I was ready to accept Tanqueray Rangpur’s taste as part of the new gin movement towards lighter more diverse flavors.

Instead, the gin violates all the rules of this movement. Newer gins are becoming successful because of the complexity they exhibit through numerous unconventional ingredients. Most of all, they blend these flavors together well to produce gins that are balanced and not overpowering. This alternative approach to gin works well because it competes with the dominance of juniper in most traditional gins. Tanqueray Rangpur claims this balance, but unfortunately, the rangpur flavors are so overwhelming that the promising use of ginger and other spices is lost. Even if only compared to other flavored spirits, I find the rangpur to not only be too dominant, but displeasing as a flavor as well. The use of lime in gin and tonics accentuates the refreshing nature of this drink, but the rangpur is anything but refreshing because of its overly bold taste.

As a bartender that strives to have knowledge of everything on the shelf (and those that will never make my shelf – like this gin), I had to try Tanqueray Rangpur. It is nice to know how far the reformation movement in gin can go without ruining the spirit. Now we know. What’s most disappointing about the gin is that it had so much potential. If the spices were allowed to take hold of the gin more, perhaps I would like the gin. If you want to try another gin that takes the alternative gin concept and does well, try North Shore’s Distiller’s Gin No.6. If you want a more mainstream gin, stick to Bombay Sapphire - it’s a much better gin, especially with tonic and a lime, rangpur if you like. The taste of fresh rangpurs is awesome in a G&T, but that’s not how you Tangueray.

A Note to Tony Sinclair: You annoy me and make me not want to drink Tanqueray ever again. It is no coincidence that since you showed up Tanqueray has started producing bad spirits like Tanqueray Rangpur. I have a bottle of Tanqueray on my shelf; if you want me to buy another, you should respectfully step down from your position and remind Tanqueray that they were great before you.