As many of our regular readers know, we really weren’t that keen on Co-op’s Special London Dry Gin; in fact we compared its bouquet to cat litter. But, to be fair, we gave it another chance when hubby added some of the botanicals from Santa’s Sandy Leaf Farm Perfect Gin Kit, to see if the flavour and odour could be improved upon.
So Co-op’s Special went from ‘eau du cat litter’ to a lemony/lime taste – but it’s still not something we’d buy again. So it was with great trepidation that I picked up a bottle of Co-op Irresistible London Dry Gin … perhaps with that bastion of truth, the Daily Mail’s positive review of its blind-tasting in the back of the mind … or had senility finally set in?
“Good girls are made with sugar and spice; My friends and I with gin and ice”
Surely, I would be mad to even think of buying this stuff, so I put the not so ‘Irresistible’ looking bottle back on the shelf. Then picked it up again. Fortunately, my memory of the Mail’s review steadied my nerve and it stayed in the trolley.
At under £18 a 70cl bottle, it came a very respectable 14th in the DM’s 2018 review, and 13th from Good Housekeeping, which described it as having “blossomy floral aromas with lemon, rose and elderflower. Soft, pleasant and easy drinking with a peppery, clove and anise flavour, balanced with apple peel, lemon and coriander notes.”
Joanne Moore
The 40% spirit has been distilled five times, and was created for Co-op by Joanne Moore, apparently the UK’s only female master gin distiller; with the final blend being chosen by Co-op members. Along with the usual botanicals that make up a London Dry Gin – juniper, coriander and angelica, the gin is also blended with Telicherry black pepper, lemon verbena, cardamom, cumin and rowanberry.
It is the spiciness with pepper notes that I enjoyed most about this gin, along with the subtle rosemary – we served with Fever Tree Indian tonic and a wedge of lime.
“I will be buying Co-op’s Irresistible London Dry Gin again – who wouldn’t at that irresistible price”
Co-op is committed to supporting British farmers – 100% of its fresh meat is British
Normally I go to the coop for Bombay or Tanquery. Alerted by the price and the promise of “premium gin” I threw caution to the wind and purchased 70cl of five times distilled coop gin .
I decided to sample neat to begin with.
The subtle notes of old engine oil put me off immediately.
I quickly made my way to the fridge for some cold fevertree tonic and ice, mixed up a gin and tonic with lemon and hoped for the best. Unfortunately the result was no better if not slightly worse than the earlier engine oil experience.
Very disappointing, not to be repeated experiment.
Very sorry you didn’t enjoy: maybe goes to prove how many terrible gins we’ve tried over the years! Thank you for sharing your views – and your favourite gin … is?
So Co-op’s Special went from ‘eau du cat litter’ to a lemony/lime taste – but it’s still not something we’d buy again. So it was with great trepidation that I picked up a bottle of Co-op Irresistible London Dry Gin … perhaps with that bastion of truth, the Daily Mail’s positive review of its blind-tasting in the back of the mind … or had senility finally set in?
Normally I go to the coop for Bombay or Tanquery. Alerted by the price and the promise of “premium gin” I threw caution to the wind and purchased 70cl of five times distilled coop gin .
I decided to sample neat to begin with.
The subtle notes of old engine oil put me off immediately.
I quickly made my way to the fridge for some cold fevertree tonic and ice, mixed up a gin and tonic with lemon and hoped for the best. Unfortunately the result was no better if not slightly worse than the earlier engine oil experience.
Very disappointing, not to be repeated experiment.
Very sorry you didn’t enjoy: maybe goes to prove how many terrible gins we’ve tried over the years! Thank you for sharing your views – and your favourite gin … is?