So about a week or so ago, one of our enthusiastic readers got in touch with us. She mentioned that she loved our Costco Tequila review, and then dropped a bombshell on us – Costco was introducing a gin bottled under its Kirkland Signature brand. As I’m sure you’ve noticed by now, I love gin. I love gin a lot. In fact, in my mind, no other spirit is as perfect as that liquor once described as “the unchristianest beastliest liquor I ever tasted” by Edward John Trelawny. So with a spring in my step, I headed down to my local Costco and picked up a bottle of Kirkland Signature London Dry Gin. I handed the man about $20, and received in return a 1.75l sea-green bottle of unchristian beastliness, making this one of the most economical gins on the market.
Now, if you’ve read my review of Death’s Door Gin, you would know that the “London Dry” in the name is not merely a touch of pretentiousness, nor a tribute to the accepted (though not actual) birthplace of the spirit, nor even a nod to where this gin was bottled (it was in California, not London). In fact, London Dry is a legal term that specifically means that the flavoring in the gin is a result of herbs and botanicals being distilled in with a neutral spirit, rather than being artificially added after the fact. There is no “Juniper syrup” to be found here. This will be important later in the review, so pay attention. The bottle also clearly says “Distilled Five Times”. I’ve noticed that this is a common selling point for Costco, as if the number of distillations is some mantra to be repeated as a ward against accusations of cheap booze. In fact, while it’s true that in general, more distillations result in a smoother spirit, the correlation is just one small part of the equation, and should not be taken as de-facto proof of quality proof.
The Gin, Itself
Gin is a notoriously complicated spirit to review. It has the range of flavor found in whiskey, but has not enjoyed the lengthy period of popularity that scotch and bourbon have, so it’s deficient in the language of taste. It’s also made with far more ingredients, and a lot more room for experimentation and variation. This is one of my favorite aspects of gin – taste any two and you may as well be drinking completely different spirits. So when I sat down with this gin, I was very excited.
The first test, as it should be with any spirit, is to pour yourself a double, sit down in a comfortable chair, open a newspaper or a book, and take a sip as you settle in. A great spirit will fade into the background, providing ambiance and depth, while being completely unobtrusive. The Kirkland Signature London Dry Gin is not a great spirit. It’s heavy-handed and deeply traditional. The juniper is overwhelming, and the other flavors have no chance to be heard. That said, it’s not a terrible spirit, either. It is certainly smooth enough to be sippable, and the heat from the alcohol content (this gin, like many Kirkland Signature spirits, is overproofed – to 88 proof in this case) is mild enough to not be uncomfortable for anyone who is used to drinking liquor neat. It’s Bombay Sapphire without the subtlety, or perhaps Beefeater without the pain. Either way, this is not the gin to sip in front of my imaginary fireplace. This is not an artisanal, hand-crafted, elegant beverage. This is your grandfather’s gin, provided your grandfather was a sailor in Her Majestey’s Navy and spent his evenings talking shit and starting fights in the seedier kind of dock-side tavern.
A Mixed Experience
Having mostly failed the sipping test, the next thing I tried was a mixed drink. Kirkland Signature London Dry Gin is probably a little too rough around the edges, and definitely far too potent to make a good gin martini, so I opted for the classic standby: the gin and tonic. I used my traditional recipe: pour gin into a lowball until it looks about right, add tonic water until you have enough to fill the glass, garnish with whatever citrus fruit you have laying around (in this case, a lime). I made myself two, just to make sure, one with ice and one without.
This is where the Kirkland Signature London Dry shines. The juniper that seems overwhelming when sipped (and which would most assuredly crowd out a martini or a cucumber cooler) provides a refreshing burst of balance to the citrusy tartness of a gin and tonic. It’s a well-rounded, smooth drink. The overproofing becomes an immense benefit, here, as it allows you to tone down the gin flavor without toning down the alcohol (if you so choose), or gives you a choice to ramp up the buzz without massively ramping up the botanicals if that’s what you really want. The strong flavoring of the spirit also helped the Kirkland Signature London Dry Gin hold its own against the melted water from the ice, so that the gin and tonic on the rocks was no worse than the gin and tonic neat.
Concluding Thoughts
John Skow of The New Yorker fame once said “Nothing is more pleasurable than to sit in the shade, sip gin and contemplate other people’s adulteries”. He was not drinking the Kirkland Signature London Dry Gin. This is a gin best used in an industrial fashion, as the backing for bloody marys and gin and tonics, and other such flavorful gin drinks. It is very dry, very strong, and very aromatic. At about $20 for 1.75l, it represents a phenomenal value for when you need gin but don’t want to waste something really special. In fact, I would use this as a replacement for any of the common mid-tier gins on the market (Bombay Sapphire, Beefeater, Bulldog, Tanqueray, etc.). It easily holds its own in the company of much more expensive bottles. I would, however, also keep a selection of nicer gins on hand for martinis, for sipping, and for mixed drinks that need a lighter touch or a more refreshing taste.
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