Gin Advent Calendar: Day 10 – My Mannequin Gives Me Sales Advice
MrsVark is back on deck, but my new work colleague, Glenn the mannequin, is still hanging around. He's now offering unsolicited sales advice, I assume he's learned from watching too many YouTube videos over my shoulder. His key insight? I need to explicitly ask people to "like and subscribe". Ground-breaking stuff. So, consider that box ticked. I'm sure the algorithm will be thrilled.
After the highs and lows of the last few days, we're back to a straightforward London Dry Gin. Let's see if it lives up to its name, or whether it's another case of branding optimism.
Watch the video:
Day 10: Greater Than Gin
Gin: Greater Than Gin
ABV: 42.8%
Style: London Dry Gin
Today's gin is "Greater Than Gin", a London Dry from India. It's a classic style, which after the recent rollercoaster of flavoured and navy strength gins, feels like a safe harbour. MrsVark is back but not drinking, so the tasting duties fall to me, with a pickled onion for moral support. As one does.
The gin itself is... fine. It's a perfectly competent London Dry. There's juniper, a bit of citrus – it does exactly what it says on the tin. It's not going to set the world on fire, but it's not going to make you question your life choices either. It's solid, dependable. The kind of thing you'd give your parents for Christmasf. Is it "greater than" other gins? That's debatable, but it's certainly not worse. Though naming yourself "Greater Than" does set expectations that "Perfectly Adequate" might have managed more comfortably.
Verdict: 7/10 – A respectable, if unremarkable, London Dry. Greater than some things, certainly. Greater than most? Jury's out.
Speaking of setting things on fire, I rounded off the tasting with one of Dr. Burnörium's Ghost Chilli Pickled Onions. These are not your average cocktail garnish. They're genuinely hot – the sort of heat that punches you in the mouth and then hangs around to keep kicking you in the head. The gin didn't stand a chance against them, frankly. If you're after a challenge with your G&T, these will certainly provide it.
The Running Tally
Day 1 (Sipsmith's): Solid start – 8/10
Day 2 (Gordon's Lemon): Cleaning product disaster – 2/10
Day 3 (Tanqueray): Respectable recovery – 7/10
Day 4 (Darnley's Navy Strength): Quality gin, questionable timing – 7/10
Day 5 (Moonshot Gin): A low-energy but decent gin – 7/10
Day 6 (Edinburgh Raspberry): A house divided – 7.5/10
Day 7 (Tanqueray Blackcurrant): Solidly mid-range – 6/10
Day 8 (Bathtub Gin): Excellent – 9/10
Day 9 (Boatyard Sloe Gin): A triumph – 9/10
Day 10 (Greater Than Gin): Solidly average – 7/10
Success Rate: 90% (nine good, one miss)
The Calendar: Drinks by the Dram Gin Advent Calendar
Previous days: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Days 7, 8 & 9