Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Orange & Blossom Gin review
Is supermarket gin worth buying? Find out whether this citrus-flavoured version from Sainsbury's stood up against traditional gin brands. Read the results of our taste test.
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Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Orange & Blossom Gin – 37.5% ABV
Rating: 4/5
In a nutshell: This is a very good citrus gin when you take into account that a bottle only costs £16. The scent is light and summery, the orange blossom is the perfect note and works well to brighten the scent. We weren’t expecting the scent of juicy Italian oranges, instead we were hoping for a light and floral scent, perhaps a little bit of countryside or leafy gardens on holidays. It really delivered.
Buy from Sainsbury's (£16)
Full Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Orange & Blossom gin review
On opening this reasonably-priced supermarket gin, the citrus aroma is quick to present itself which is a good sign. Some of the other orange gins we tried had a rather medicinal smell, and this one sidesteps that nicely.
The gin uses eight botanicals, and has orange blossom and thyme notes throughout. The blossom really is noticeable, and although it knocks the citrus notes down a touch, this is what makes the gin more appealing and very drinkable.
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It’s perhaps a little more sedate than some other citrus gins (in flavour and ABV), but it really is a strong all-rounder and we can see people grabbing a bottle of this to take along to a BBQ with their packs of sausages and burgers.
When you've reached the point in the summer when you fancy a change from rosé wine, we think this is a good bet for a gathering in the sunshine that won’t see you out of pocket.
There are a few elements that take it down a notch – the orange bottle is actually a little off putting as the colour is bit like a bottle you’d find in a medicine cabinet. The promise of an orange bottle but pouring a clear gin is a little disappointing.
We tasted all the citrus gins in our review with nothing but tonic, but Sainsbury's suggest that you go all out on the garnish, recommending that you use pink peppercorns, a wedge of blood orange and a sprig of thyme and mint. Yes, all of them.
While there's no doubt that these would all add something to the overall experience of the drink, we'd argue that if you have to give your glass this many bells and whistles, it's because the flavour is lacking. And to be honest, it is a little, but for a £16 bottle of gin, it's very hard to quibble. For its faults, it's still a really solid crowd-pleaser.
The perfect pour
You can be rather liberal with this gin as it's so affordable and we suggest you get creative with this. Our recommendation? Rather than whacking in a bunch of extras, make things easy on yourself and use it to top up a jug of Pimms for an extra kick.
Read our full review of citrus gins
This review was last updated in June 2019. If you have any questions or suggestions for future reviews, or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk. For information on alcohol guidelines, read our guide to drinking responsibly.
