Morrisons gin beats Gordons in blind taste test

Supermarket own-brand gins have beaten the big brands in blind taste tests carried out for consumer organisation Which?.

Morrisons topped the gin ranking, with Which?'s experts describing its £10.49 London Dry Gin as 'well-rounded' and 'refreshing'. It got a score of 80% - well ahead of market-leading Gordons. This came in ninth place, despite its £16 price tag making it one of the most expensive brands in the test.

Lidl's Castelgy London Dry Gin came second, with a score of 78%, but was also the joint cheapest at £9.99.

"Once again, our taste tests have shown that supermarket own labels are giving the big brands a real run for their money," says Which? editor Richard Headland. "Some inexpensive bottles received a much higher score from our experts, proving you don't always need to splash out."

There was a similar picture when it came to white wines. Asda's Extra Special Leyda Valley Chilean Sauvignon Blanc was the top-scoring white wine with a score of 79% - as well as the cheapest, at £5.75. It was described by Which?'s experts as 'very fruity with a lemony finish' and 'a very appealing summer drink'.

Other high-scoring white wines included Lidl Cimarosa Sauvignon Blanc 2014, costing £5.89, and Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Albarino 2013 at £8.

Meanwhile, the two branded white wines - the £6.99 Cono Sur Bicicleta Sauvignon Blanc 2014 and £7.99 Oxford Landing Sauvignon Blanc 2014 - finished at the bottom of the table.

Supermarket own-brands are increasingly taking top prizes in industry awards. In June, Aldi's Highland Black 8 Year Old Scotch Whisky picked up gold medals at both the International Spirit Challenge, and the Spirits Business Scotch Whisky Masters awards.

Gin taste test results
1. Morrisons London Dry Gin 80% £10.49
2. Lidl Castelgy London Dry Gin 78% £9.99
3. Waitrose London Dry Gin 78% £12
4. Greenalls London Dry Gin 77% £15
5. Beefeater Dry Gin 76% £16
6. Asda London Dry Gin 75% £11
7. Sainsbury's London Dry Gin 74% £11.50
8. Aldi Oliver Cromwell London Dry Gin 74% £9.99
9. Gordon's Special Dry London Gin 74% £16
10. The Cooperative London Dry Gin 73% £11.99
11. Marks & Spencer London Dry Gin 72% £15
12. Tesco London Dry Gin 71% £11.50

Crisp dry white wine taste test
1. Asda Extra Special Leyda Valley Chilean Sauvignon Blanc 79% £5.75
2. Lidl Cimarosa Sauvignon Blanc 2014 78% £5.89
3. Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Albarino 2013 74% £8.00
4. Waitrose Grüner Veltliner Niederösterreich 2014 73% £7.99
5. The Co-operative TrulyIrresistible Leyda Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2014 71% £6.99
6. M&S Picpoul de Pinet 2014 69% £8.50
7. Aldi The Exquisite Collection Clare Valley Riesling 2014 67% £6.99
8. Morrisons M Signature Vermentino di Sardegna 2014 67% £5.99
9. Cono Sur Bicicleta Sauvignon Blanc 2014 66% £6.99
10. Oxford Landing Sauvignon Blanc 2014 62% £7.99

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