On yet another journey to the ever wonderful Lidl, I came across a new gin they had in stock. I was unsure what to think as the bottle looks fairly mid/high teir, but only cost £8.99 which is an incredible price. Hampstead is also 40% rather than the usual 37.5% found in bottom shelf spirits, making it both cheaper and boozier than Lidl’s other Castelgy Gin.
Gin-ger beer.
I’m sorry. That doesn’t even make sense.
For once the bottle actually looks pretty respectable, seeming to be based loosely on Hendrick’s, Gordon’s and Plymouth. The front label has the words “Excellent Distillation” which is a nice change from the “TRIPLE DISTILLED” which many other spirits constantly brag about. When reading the back label I soon realised why this gin is so cheap. It’s only a 500ml bottle! I guess either the shape of it threw me off, or I was too excited about cheap booze to bother checking what size the bottle is, but looking at it now it does seem kind of stumpy.
I was very thankful that Hampstead doesn’t smell pissy at all as I was expecting. In fact, it actually smells pretty good. There’s quite a noticable citrus scent to it which could be there to cover up other shitty smells, but it’s a very welcome addition to the gin. Upon drinking, lavender and lemon flavours stand out the most. It seems to have a more complicated taste than most cheap gins, and although this is an alcohol review website, I’m too pissed to pick out any of these subtleties. In a gin and tonic, Hampstead is fantastic. Add lime and you have an extremely refreshing drink which doesn’t taste too strong, but still has a slight kick.
Hampstead is a really great gin, but unfortunately the bottle is small. However, at only £8.99 for 500ml, it works out at the equivalent of £13.50 for a standard 700ml bottle which really isn’t bad for such a great tasting booze. 500ml isn’t enough for one night of drinking, but I would happily pay £13.50 if there were to sell this in a normal sized bottle. Either way, this is a good gin and you should probably spend all your money on it (but save some for limes and tonic water).
Booze Review rating: 9/10 deliciouses
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Crikey, not enough for a night? GREED.
You don’t know how many people are in the household.
P.S twat.
I just drank one in a sitting. Light weights ? amazing citrus gin for the money. I a, in Majorca at the moment and Lidl have it on for €4.79. The mor you drink the more you save
the more you drink, the more you save LOL!
£8.99 in the UK? Over here in germany the gin costs 4.99 EUR which is less than half the price you are paying.
And this is why Germany is so awesome!
The gin is produced in Germany if you look at the label that’s why it’s so cheap
Its the same price in Lanzarote 4.99 euros and 9.99 pounds in my uk dtote up north . Rip off Britain again ha ha
1:0 für Deutschland! 🙂
It’s 5,99 EUR in Germany, not 4,99 EUR. It’s a german Gin made in the small german federal state of “Saarland” in the village “Tholey”, close to the french border. I wonder, if they are actually allowed to call it a “London Dry Gin”… 😉
It isn’t a bad Gin, especially for that few money. It’s well rounded with no aggressive alcoholic notes to it. But the strong soapy lavender flavour to my opinion is overwhelming… If you are in love with lavender, buy it – otherwise don’t even think about it.
“London” or “London Dry” is a type of gin not a protected designation of origin or geographical indication. As far as I know only Plymouth gin is a protected geographical indication. Beefeater is the only Londonian distiller.
5.99€ in Spain also!
Hampsted + Shweppes + Lemon + big ice cube… is there anything cheaper at this level?
Yes. Meths, or try LIDL’s aftershave.
NOB!
hampstead which si sold in 50cl bottles, is not cheaper than castelgy which is sold in 70 cl bottles. per litre hampstead is more. it would not have been at all difficult for you to realise this. but thanks for the review anyway, i’m not ungrateful!
never mind! I see now that you did realise that!
and yeah, other commentators, everything is cheaper in germany, not just this. it’s not called ‘rip-off britain’ for nothing!
Hey,
I’m enjoying the site. I particularly like how you pictured that bottle of gin in front of a shit Matsui telly.
I just thought I’d let you know I gave you a little shout-out on twitter (@alcothusiast) where I promote my booze blog, which is a bit like yours only less focussed and less funny. I like to look at shit booze too. If you can be arsed, perhaps see http://www.dihuli.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/actual-important-research-carried-out.html in which I compare the standard own brand blended scotch from the 6 main supermarkets.
I’m going add a link to your site on my blog as well, if that’s ok with you.
Keep up the good work. Btw, some parts of your site don’t seem to be working properly.
Cool, cheers.
Neil
Cheap supermarket booze always means you’re in for a good night. I used to drink a lot of Sainsbury’s stuff, but now I’m closer to a Tesco which involves a lot of their “every day” vodka or the horrible scotch in a badly designed bottle. Their wine cartons are also hilarious and cheap.
Thanks for telling me about the site. Everything should be fixed now.
I subscribe to your re”view”. I went through our local Lidl today and was totaly shocked when I spotted the green bottle. First I thought I might be looking at a Hendricks for 5,99€ and was totaly thrilled. As the big “H” drew me closer I realized that I fell for the hoax. Turning away, a little voice in the back of my skull told me to at least check my mobile for a review which did lead me to this page.
Booking the whole Lidl expreiance I bought;
1x Hampstead
1l Freeway Tonic Water
1x cucumber
1 net of lemons
for less than 10€ in total I’m just having a third glass of a decent Gin Tonic and have to admit that I’ll be visiting my Lild again, soon.
btw this gin is worth 8.99 £ , if you get it for 5.99€ buy it!
spain 4.99
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I have to say that Hampstead gin is by far my favourite gin today! I include Tanqueray, Bombay Sapphire, Hendricks etc etc in that comparison.
Hampstead has the most beautiful aromatic flavour – try drinking it with just a cube of ice and some lime peel – it’s amazing!
But for one of the best G & T’s on the planet pour Hampstead over ice, add a curl of lime peel (not a slice as the pulp of limes or lemons flattens the tonic) run some lime peel over the lip of the glass and then pour Freeway Rose Pepper tonic into it – it’s really just about as good as it gets. And I am a man who has sampled a few gin & tonics from Raffles in Singapore to the Met bar in Knightsbridge.
I live in Spain and now can not find a bottle of Hampstead for love nor money – it has been discontinued in Lidl as it was launched as part of a campaign to show you could have a luxury gin & tonic for 1 Euro.
If anyone knows where you can buy it outside of Lidl or if they will stock it again please let me know as I am in Gin depression as no other gin comes near to the taste.
Anyway good forum and Cheers!
Martin
Hi Martin
Where are you? I have just bought three bottles in Lidl, Calahonda, near Marbella at a cost of €5.99. By coincidence also bought three packs of Freeway Pimienta tonic at €2.49 for six and, also, three boxes of botanica spices which include juniper, cardaman seeds and seeds of hibiscus for €1.24 a box. Some is being exported to England, some is being drunk here.
Also good forum
Lidl are selling it again! Just bought a bottle
Lidl are selling again!!
Just to say if buying tonic from Lidl avoid the Freeway bottles which have saccharin and buy thr Freeway small tins that dont
In Lidl in Mijas Costa just today bought 2 bottles at 4.79€ each. Super gin at a silly price!
We have had the Hampstead vine gin in Mihas Lidl this week any ideas where we can get it in UK it’s in a found bottle with green pattern €9.99 lovely
Just bought a bottle of Lidl Hampstead Vine Grape Distilled Gin. Any reviews please before I open it to try.
9.99euros for Hampstead vine grape distilled gin 70cl in Manilva. Is it any good.
Hampstead vine gin is my favourite gin out of them all, the taste is dreamy, if only I could buy it in the UK !
Just bought a 70cl bottle of HAMPSTEAD GIN DISTILLED FROM GRAPES. Found it in Lidl’s, cost 7.99€. Great taste.
Sally says, bought a bottle on promo from Lidl and loved it but can’t find it anywhere now. Can anyone help?
Thanks! I just got that in Sicily where I live, I am looking forward to try it….
Keep up with your socially very useful research. Cheers, Valentino.
Most Neutral Grain Spirit is grown, brewed and distilled in Eastern Europe before being bulk-tankered into the west where the flavourings are added by various methods, sometimes by infusion but mainly (by the big producers] by distilling it again with the ‘botanicals’ the word people who market gin use for flavourings. To be called ‘gin, these flavourings must include juniper but other than that you can add any flavouring you like. Normally these are of plant origin and producers have their own recipes. The gin ‘Hampstead’ is in my opinion delicious regardless of price. I suspect the main botanicals to be Juniper(of course) and various citrus peels. It is very finely balanced and taken neat with a little ice suits my palate very well. It is a shame that it doesn’t appear to be available in UK at present but after tasting (and then sloshing it down) in Spain this summer I brought a couple of litres back to UK. It cost less than £20 Euros for two litres in Spain but is so good I would happily pay more for it than any other with the exception of Tanqueray Rangpur, another gin heavy on the citrus.
Just found a bottle in the AirBNB I rented in Spain. FREE!
€13 in Ireland.