A New Twist on an Old Favorite
Written: Oct 07 '04 (Updated Jun 01 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Nice taste of mandarin oranges combined with gin; Priced right
Cons: Fruit flavor won't match with every gin drink.
The Bottom Line: This is a very good variation on the usual flavor of gin.
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| Bryan_Carey's Full Review: Seagram Orange Gin |
Joseph Seagram’s is a company with a name that is synonymous with alcoholic beverages. Most everyone who enjoys an occasional shot of liquor or a mixed drink has sampled something from the Seagram’s family, with Seagram’s gin and Seagram’s 7 blended whiskey ranking among the company’s most popular offerings.
Seagram’s gin has been in production for decades but recently, the company has decided to branch out and expand the gin market by creating flavored gin products. The newest among these is Seagram’s Orange Twisted Gin, a product made by combining regular gin with a twist of mandarin orange.
Basic Characteristics of This Liquor:
Seagram’s Orange Twisted Gin is a little yellowish in color with an aroma that is orange- like, but still distinctly gin. The product is thin and flows easily from the bottle when poured into a glass.
Taken straight, this product seems more like mixed citrus at first with gin herbal notes and it finishes warm and bitter, leaving a heated, tingly feeling on the back of the tongue. It doesn’t seem sweet at first, but the interesting thing is the aftertaste. Once the liquid has been passed down to your stomach, you will be treated to an aftertaste that is not bitter at all, but pleasantly sweet and this is when the orange flavor is most evident.
This gin is a little weaker than ordinary Seagram’s (or other brand name) gin, with a proof rating of 70, making it 35 percent alcohol by volume. A one ounce serving (30 ml) has about 65 calories, with no protein, carbohydrates, or fat.
Drinks Made with This Liquor:
Seagram’s Orange Twisted Gin is a relatively new product, so there are not many standard drinks available that use this liquor as an ingredient. But here is a sample of some of the beverages you can create with this liquor, using variations on popular gin drinks:
Twisted Orange and Tonic:
1.5 oz. Seagram’s Orange Twisted Gin
6 oz. Tonic Water
Pour gin into a highball glass filled with ice. Pour tonic water on top and serve.
Double Orange Blossom:
1.5 oz. Seagram’s Orange Twisted Gin
1.5 oz. Orange Juice
.5 Teaspoon powdered sugar
Shake all three ingredients with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass or highball glass filled with ice. Add a slice of orange for garnish.
Orange Twisted Gintini:
2 oz. Seagram’s Orange Twisted Gin
Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Add an lemon twist for garnish.
Orange Collins:
1 oz. Seagram’s Orange Twisted Gin
3 oz. Sweet and Sour mix
3 oz. Club soda
Pour each of the ingredients into a Collins glass filled with ice. Add a cherry and lime squeeze for garnish.
Final Thoughts:
Seagram’s Orange Twisted Gin is an interesting and tasty variation on the usual gin products. When I first sampled this gin, I expected the flavor to be sweeter than it turned out to be and I wasn’t looking forward to the experience. I imagined a drink that was almost sticky- sweet, similar to a very strong fruit- flavored alcoholic punch.
Much to my (pleasant) surprise, this gin is not really that sweet. When I tasted it straight, I could tell before the liquid even touched my lips that this product was gin, through and through. One quick whiff confirms it. You can smell the orange, but you can also smell the herbal, medicinal aroma that is associated with gin. And it has an initial taste that is similar to gin- dry, herbal, and bitter. The sweetness comes through later.
I think the most unusual thing about this liquor is the aftertaste. I say this because I assumed the overall flavor profile would be extremely sweet and orange- like and too overbearing to tolerate. I didn’t think the most orange- like qualities would be found in the aftertaste, but that’s exactly where they showed up. A short time after tasting a small amount from the bottle, my entire mouth was filled with the pleasant taste of mandarin oranges. At this point, I could barely detect any gin flavor at all. The taste I remember, at this point, was orange.
Since very few people drink gin by the shot, let’s talk about adding this product to your favorite mixed drink. I like an occasional gin- based beverage, but I have to admit that gin is something I really have to be in a special mood to desire. I don’t get in these moods very often (maybe a few times per year), so suffice it to say that I don’t purchase much gin. It takes a certain, specific mood to crave the medicinal taste of gin.
But Seagram’s Orange Twisted Gin is very different. Added to a drink that normally calls for regular gin, this product adds a new twist to the taste, bringing ordinary drinks alive with flavor. I particularly like this gin added to a gin and tonic. Regular gin and tonic is good, but the added taste dimension from this orange- flavored gin makes it even better. The drink is sweeter, but the nice thing about it is the fact that it still tastes like gin. It doesn’t taste like a sweet concoction with alcohol added (like you often get with flavored vodkas). It still has a distinct gin flavor, with the additional taste of oranges.
One word of caution about using Seagram’s Orange Twisted Gin: The added sweetness and fruitiness makes it very easy to over consume. And it can sneak up on you quickly if you don’t pay attention. You start with one drink, and then pour another, then another, without even realizing you are about to drink your fifth or sixth serving. The product might be dry initially, but when mixed with other ingredients, it makes the drink sweeter and easier to consume.
Overall, I really enjoy Seagram’s Orange Twisted Gin. It offers the delicious flavor of mandarin oranges combined with the dry, herbal taste of traditional gin, making for a great- tasting liquor to substitute in your next gin beverage. And it’s priced right, at only about $9.99 for a 750 ml bottle. It’s a product I recommend trying for those who love gin but who feel like something a little more adventurous once in a while.
Be Sure to Click on the Links Below to Read More Reviews of Other Liquors:
George Dickel #12 Sipping Whiskey
Bacardi Gold
Captain Morgan’s Original Spiced Rum
Stolichnaya Vodka
Seagram’s Extra Smooth Vodka
Seagram’s Extra Dry Gin
Myer’s Rum
Cruzan Coconut Rum
Everclear Vodka
Recommended:
Yes
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