In appearance alone, Bulldog Gin, a newish premium offering out of London, offers something different. Its charcoal gray bottle with purple hues is adorned with a spiked collar, which might be enough to entice your everyday purchaser of hooch. But what really caught my attention is its interesting blend of 12 botanicals, including poppy, lotus leaves, lavender and dragon eye.
On the Nose
Despite its tough appearance, Bulldog’s bouquet offers a delicate fragrance of juniper with floral and citrus notes coming through.
The Taste
Drank straight, the taste is also gentler than expected with a subtle juniper flavor melding well with the many other botanicals. Further tastes seem to unlock countless other notes, including poppy, lavender and a sweetness that I think can be attributed to the lychee-like flavor of dragon eye. And among all these flavors, the juniper is never lost.
Mixing
Mixed into a martini (I used a 3:1 gin to vermouth ratio), Bulldog was a solid competitor. It doesn’t quite stand up to Plymouth or Beefeater, my old martini standbys, but with its unique blend of botanicals it makes for a flavorful, complex cocktail.
Overall
Bulldog is pretty good stuff. It offers a unique flavor profile without forgetting that at the end of the day, it’s a juniper-distilled spirit. If you like western-style gins, you’ll probably like Bulldog. If you don’t like gin, this just might offer enough different flavor notes to change your mind, but I don’t see Bulldog reforming the “gin-tastes-like-pine-needles” vodka drinker.
Stats
-Quadruple distilled, triple filtered London Dry Gin
-40 percent Alcohol By Volume
-$30 for a 750ml bottle
