Beefeater vs Bombay Sapphire & More

Beefeater vs Bombay Sapphire/Bombay Sapphire vs Beefeater/Bombay vs Beefeater: What Does Bombay Gin Taste Like?

My experience of these two gins is that they have quite similar characters. Perhaps the reason for this is that the version I have tasted of both these gins is the stronger US version which are both 47% ABV.

What that tastes like on the palate for one’s usual mix of gin and tonic is a more pungent (almost bitter) gin and tonic.

Furthermore, Bombay Sapphire is made with 10 different botanicals and Beefeater is made with 9, seven of which they share in common: juniper berries, coriander seeds, liquorice or liquorice root, almonds, lemon peel, orris root, and angelica root.

READ ALSO: Gilbey’s Gin vs Beefeater

Bombay Sapphire Gin vs Gordons Gin/Gordons London Dry Gin vs Bombay Sapphire

If you would like to know what I think about Bombay Sapphire vs. Gordon’s gin, click here.

Beefeater or Gordons: What is Gordon’s Gin?

Gordon’s gin is the world’s number one best-selling (and my favorite) gin. It has been made to the same recipe since the late 18^th century.

Gordon’s gin is the only gin to display the royal coat of arms on its bottle, by appointment of Her Majesty the Queen of England.

Tasting Notes
Nose: Fresh, with juniper and citrus
Palate: Dry and fresh, with juniper and citrus
Finish: Short and light, with juniper and citrus
The makers of Gordon’s gin recommend that it be drunk in a gin and tonic, served with a wedge of lime—first squeezed into the cocktail and then dropped in.

Gordons or Beefeater: My Personal Take on Gordon’s Gin vs Beefeater

If you ask me which gin I would like in a gin & tonic, my default response would be Gordon’s gin. If that were not an option, I would then request for Hendrick’s, especially if I could have cucumber in my G & T.

Hendrick's Gin and Tonic with Cucumber

Although I do find Beefeater an aromatic gin, at 47% alcohol by volume, it is a bit too strong for me.

That 7% difference between Beefeater and Gordon’s is not only one I can taste but also one I can feel quickly, even after one drink, so I definitely prefer Gordon’s vs Beefeater.

READ ALSO: How Is Gin Gilbeys Best Drunk?

Readers Weigh in on Gordon’s vs Beefeater

Matthew D. Erulkar, a reader, had this to say about the two gins:

I have drunk Gordons and found it tasting either oily or like paint thinner. Gilbey’s really does not have a pronounced character of any sort, but I prefer that to the citric tones of Beefeaters.

Gordon's vs Beefeater: Gins on a shelf

VaSlim, another reader, had this to say:

Hey, without question; different gins for the two very differed different drinks……….

1. Gilbey’s for a martini if you can’t afford Beefeater,

2. Burnett’s for a gin & tonic if you can’t afford Tanqueray.

But Gordon’s is one gin that can do both!!! Besides, if it was good enough for 007 (although it was 94 proof in the day vs. the present 80), surely it is good enough for us mere mortals!!!”

London Dry Gin vs Bombay Sapphire

Bombay Sapphire is also a London Dry gin.

Gilberts Gin

Gilbert’s Gin is a Zimbabwean London Dry Gin made by African Distillers Limited.

It’s a delicate blend of 12 natural ingredients giving it a smooth refreshing taste with a hint of citrus.

So What Is the Most Popular Gin in the World?

Believe it or not, the world’s most popular gin is one that you probably have never heard of before (at least I hadn’t ever heard of it until I sought to answer this question). It is Ginebra San Miguel, a gin made in the Philippines.

Ginebra San Miguel is the most popular gin in the world by volume, having sold 31.2 million cases in 2020.

Second to Ginebra San Miguel comes Gordon’s Gin (my favorite gin), which in 2020 sold 6.7 million cases of gin.

The next most popular gins by volume are Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray, Beefeater, Seagram’s, Larios, and Hendrick’s (my second favorite gin), in that order.

Table of Contents