Tanqueray Rangpur Review

A question: can spirits to evolve? 

With the weight of hundreds of years of history bearing down on rum, whisky, and even gin, is there truly room for change? Regulations and trade associations continue to define and codify rules of production and classification. Mavericks are decried by critics, whether they sit on tasting panels and on their armchairs.  Making even a nudge in the name of progress seems to be a task herculean. 

Yet, change is inevitable. 

Gin, for example, finds its origins in the malty Dutch spirit Genever, referred to as Hollands during the Age of Sail. It branched off into Old Tom style sweet gins after a period of rising British patriotic fervor, and eventually, as distilling techniques improved and consumer preferences changed, evolved into the London Dry style we are familiar with today. Now, we are seeing distillers move away from the London Dry and become more adventurous with the botanicals. This too, is part of the evolution of the spirit. 

Breaking with Tradition

The classic Tanqueray, to me, epitomises the London Dry style; crisp and dry, with the strong pine-like flavour of juniper as its dominant flavour and a light bitter, spicy finish. All botanicals used in its production are natural and nothing is added after distillation. Tanqueray’s success is testament to the strength of its original recipe; it has been operating since 1830, when Charles Tanqueray launched his distillery and the recipe has not changed since the 1850s. 

The four botanical that are usually presumed to be in the classic recipe are juniper, coriander seed, angelica root and liquorice root, and there is a distinct, noticeable lack of citrus peels. It does have a sparkling pine freshness to it, and a very mild tartness from the coriander, but it shows its limitations quickly when one simply prefers fruit to pine. 

The Tanqueray Rangpur is a nod to the citrophiles among us- and is Tanqueray’s own break from tradition. 

The key botanical is the eponymous Rangpur Lime (actually a hybrid of lemon and mandarin orange), which is used to flavour the spirit during distillation. It hails from Bangladesh, and as far as we know, is a flavouring unique to this gin only. While the fruit itself does not actually look like a lime, instead reminding one of a small orange, its fragrance is that of a spicier, more rounded green lime.

The spirit, itself

This zesty fruit’s rind translates directly to the nose of the gin. The citrus scent, while blending with those of juniper and bay leaf, unquestionably rises to the top. 

The lime continues to rule the palate. There is a discernible juniper presence, certainly, but it yields the… limelight to the sour-spicy flavours of the Rangpur lime. So lush is the flavour of lime, in fact, that one can almost imagine that this was made by growing a traditional Tanqueray inside a lime, drenching it in lime juice, blended it with whole limes and then garnishing it liberally with whole limes. That is not to say that the spirit becomes a form of glorified juice, merely that it takes on such strong characteristics that it takes over the mind and senses for a few moments. To its credit, there is some herbal and ginger complexity that creeps up towards the finish to provide a bit of a counterpoint. It is also noticeably sweeter than a London Dry, and because of that, does not actually qualify as one. 

Tanqueray Rampur may have proven a little too single-minded in its evolutionary use of citrus however; it has proven divisive amongst those who appreciate and enjoy gin. The traditionalist, used to the reign of juniper, might not take well to the lime performing a coup d’etat on its juniper overlords. For me, however, it is the perfect spirit for our scorching tropical climes. The refreshing bite of fruit puts a bracing zing on the tongue and wards the heat away better than a root or herb heavy gin could ever do. 

Making the most of it

Being a gin, however, it seems inevitable that it will be used in making one cocktail or another.  We tried a few different classics for inspiration.

The spirit makes a very agreeable G&T if one enjoys the taste of citrus. The result is crisp, clean and refreshing- though one advises restraint with the use of lime wedges to avoid overpowering the juniper entirely. 

It also makes for a fair martini, but where it truly sparkles is in cocktails with citrus or fizzy components, where the flavours are allowed to dovetail. We tried making a Gimlet, Tom Collins, and a French 75, and they were all delicious.

Summing it up

The Tanqueray Rangpur will not win marks for incredible complexity- but to hold that against it misses the point entirely. This isn’t a fine sipping gin; it shines brightest as a refreshing component of your favourite warm-weather drinks.

As an evolution of the classic London Dry, it offers something new, something different. Something fresh. 

Enjoy it for what it is-a quality spirit and a break from tradition. Enjoy simply mixing this into your favourite cocktail at home. 

You won’t be disappointed. 

You can get bottles of Tanqueray Rangpur from Cellarbration at $80 each.