Bulldog Gin Review

Bulldog Gin
London Dry Gin with Poppy, Dragon Eye and Citrus
80 Proof (40% ABV)
Typical Price: Around $30 for 750ml
BulldogGin.com

It just sits there staring at you. Squat, grey, mean-looking, with that tough little studded collar giving it an extra air of menace. No, we're not talking about your neighbor's pit bull...we're talking about that bottle of Bulldog we got in last week, and the added bonus is that unlike your neighbor's dog the bottle is full of gin.

On the plus side before we even tasted it, we found out Bulldog has poppy in it (which they make heroin out of), and it has Dragon Eye (aka Longan, which is related to lychee, which they make Lichido out of). Find out how Bulldog measures up after the jump.

The Look:
The gin itself is clear as a bell. As mentioned above, the bottle is grey and squat and collared, just like its namesake bulldog.

The Nose:
As tough as the bottle is, we expected Bulldog to have a tough bite. We were surprised by the delicate smell of pine and citrus, followed by a delicate sweetness we attributed to the longan. The pine was delicate too...not like you've been sucking on pine needles overnight like some lower-shelf gins we've tried.

The Taste:
The taste was far less aggressive than we expected as well, with the piney juniper flavor complementing the citrus and that same underlying sweetness. After trying it straight, loosening it with some water, and sipping it on the rocks, we decided it was time to experiment a bit. First we mixed a martini (1 to 1 gin and vermouth) that was more complex and tastier than most gin martinis we've sipped (which you can expect is more than a few).

Our next step was to crank up some Mojitos del Perro, from a recipe the Bulldog Gin folks set us up with. It was a combination of Bulldog, lychee juice (we used lichido) and a few other ingredients...check out the recipe in the image. We were fans, we've got to say, even though some of the interns were weirded out making mojitos without rum...and the fact we didn't have any mint. We were fans, we have to say.

The Verdict:
Good stuff. Bulldog is only available in New York and Georgia right now, but they're expanding to three other states in January '07 and you can pick them up at Astor Wines. We think you'll like Bulldog if you like your gin drinks less on the evergreen side, or if you typically drink vodka because the strong flavor of gin makes you nervous. Take a walk with the bulldog - we think you'll find the bite is gentler than you think.

November 9, 2006

Bulldog Gin Review