Kirkland London Dry Gin

I'm on a Kirkland roll lately. Here goes... tasted neat Nose is slightly sweet, piney, and with a slight "aspirin" bitterness note that's not at all objectionable. There's a fair bit of ethanol, but again this isn't objectionable at all. It's really a solid gin aroma. Compared to Bombay Sapphire (different style, I know) it is lacking in complexity and has only a trace of floral elements. That noted, there's nothing here to make me pump the brakes. On the palate this offers a little less juniper than the nose promises. It's sweet and relatively soft with a fast finish and minimal complexity. This is a fair London Dry style and nothing about it makes me wish I had poured something else. My Monkey 47 is in no danger, but for the money this is solid. Comparatively the Sapphire is far more floral, complex and has a significantly greater level of complexity. This is exactly what I expected. Thinking about my experiences with other budget gins, this is certainly a better choice that G & J Greenall. It's both less expensive and better integrated. I've had the Kirkland in a Martini, 50/50, on rocks, in a G&T, Negroni and with soda. In no case have I been let down. This is just a solid budget gin. It's approaching Beefeater level quality for about half the price and that's impressive on its own. Yes, I'll buy this again. Great for those times when you want a gin to experiment with, Very good for freezer-door or batched cocktails, a bargain when you're pouring in volume for friends and overall just a great deal. A quality average gin with above average value ($20 for a 1.75). Who want's to argue with that!

Very reduced juniper, to the point of being equally balanced with the herb, floral, and citrus flavors, all of it is very light, surprising because it is 88 proof, this is a "modern" gin with very light flavors, it is inoffensive and should make a good light cocktail, I tasted it neat and tried it in a G&T, neat it tasted like a lightly flavored vodka, in a G&T it disappeared. It is smooth with little burn, there's nothing offensive about it, but I want more character in my gin. It might be good for a house party but you could buy Gordons for the same price and have something that tastes of juniper berries. If you want a modern gin with greatly reduced juniper taste, this could be a good selection.

One of Kirkland's best spirit buys, along with their Blanco Tequila. It's just a tad strong for sipping, but it stands up very well mixed with vermouth or tonic. For flavor, it resembles Beefeater. Beefeater is a bit smoother; Kirkland is a bit more floral. Some have compared Kirkland's to Gordon's, but I find Gordon's a bit harsh by comparison. If you're mostly using gin for mixed drinks, this is an excellent, cost-effective choice. The bottle shape looks a lot like Costco's Bombay Sapphire 1.75 liter, however it's made by DC Flynt MW Selections, who makes Kirkland's Tennessee Bourbon and several of their wines.

Fragrant aromas of juniper, coriander, rose petal, cardamom, and lemon pith. Rose and coriander dominate the palate, supported by orange zest and more juniper, with a subtle resurgence of cardamom on the finish. Round and lightly oily mouthfeel. Finish is medium-length with plenty of spice but very little heat. 2.75/5.00 – Decent (neat)

Surprisingly good. It's certainly a little harsher and botanical than the floral gins that are popular these days. Plenty of juniper, slight citrus. Quite smooth on the finish the lends an elegance.

Doing a side by side tasting with tanqueray and Bombay sapphire. This is less piney than tanqueray, very balanced and not “forward” in any taste or scent