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My impression is that whiskey is imbibed for its taste (that is, neat or with a little water/ice) much more commonly than gin. You mentioned Lagavulin — a meditative, gloomy flavor. Contrast with a broad American classic like Woodford double — the tatste of warm hospitality. I’ve never thought about gin this way, a wide spectrum of emotion. The botanicals always struck me as a way to smuggle the alcohol past your tongue by pairing with whatever mixers; perhaps a prejudice founded on that most iconic gin drink, the G&T, which has always had medicinal associations.

You are absolutely right that people tend to drink whisky straight, or perhaps with a little water. And that people hardly ever drink gin straight.

It's actually a bit strange that people don't tend to drink gin neat. There're no doubt that different mixtures of botanicals vary the flavour quite widely around the core "gin" flavour produced by juniper berries. I've even tasted a "whisky gin" produced by ageing gin in whisky barrels. It was a limited edition, unfortunately.

The uptick in whiskey production production means there are a lot of barrels to sell on for use in storing other spirits and even beer. Stateside, even Budweiser is selling beer aged in Jim Beam barrels (under the name Copper Lager). There is an especial glut of bourbon barrels since, by law, they can only be used once to age bourbon.

I love a hendricks and elderflower tonic. I dont know if I'd ever drink gin straight. there are lots of gin liqueurs becoming popular now which can be drank straight, although they can be quite rich. we just bought a gingerbread flavour liqueur which i look forward to trying.

Neat Gin is a bit "hot" at room temperature.

It's more palatable when chilled, and still retains the differences in flavour fromn different selections of botanicals.

There are some awesome Gin liqueurs available. They've grown in popularity a lot over the past year or two. The Zymorgium series from Manchester are extremely good.

We like the no1 brand. They do a rhubarb one which is amazing, and also a nettle one.

I have a bottle of No.1 at home but I didn't really take to it. We've been drinking a fair bit of Verdant and Bobby's recently. To supplement the relentless but pocket-damaging Monkey 47.

Monkey 47 is a gin which does benefit from being drunk neat, it is so full of flavour.

haha that is the downside of spirits. I've never had monkey 47. the poshest I've had is hendricks and the odd fancy one in pubs.