Introduction
Well, my friends, we are truly into the unknown. Never did I imagine that I would be reviewing alcohol for SonicAbuse, although I suppose, given the number of bands that have diverged into projects involving everything from beer to vodka, it was inevitable. At any event, Kiss have never been ones to let a bandwagon pass them by and, despite the fact that Gene Simmons is an avowed teetotaller (Paul Stanley is quietly in favour of moderation), they have been steadily expanding their “Drink it Up” Kiss Kollection of alcohols, with the line-up now boasting three types of rum and two types of gin. Of course, Kiss are not alone and a quick visit to the awesome Brands For Fans page will reveal products from Kiss, Def Leppard, Ozzy Osbourne, In Flames and more.
This review covers the latest entry in the Cold Gin brand – a classic song and a clear case of nominative determinism all-in-one. Initially launched a year ago as a standard, 40% strength gin, it proved phenomenally successful, notching up a Bronze from the World Gin Awards 2022 and a Gold from The Gin Masters in 2021 – no mean feat. Now, the band have collaborated once again with Daniel Henriksson (the master distiller also behind Def Leppard’s recent gin selection) to create Cold Gin – Navy Strength, a 57% edition that is impressively smooth for all of its apparent strength.
Design
As you might imagine, part of the selling point is the bottle – and here there are both successes and failures. On the positive side, the label is beautifully designed. Printed on foil, and packed with Kiss symbolism, it looks great and will doubtless delight any kiss fan. At the same time, when you consider the engravings that adorn a bottle of the (similarly priced) Bombay Sapphire, it’s a shame that they didn’t think to engrave, say, the Kiss Ikons into the glass itself, as this would have made it an even more durable present. Nevertheless, it is a sturdy bottle, and it looks great on the shelf. Buy one for the Kiss fan in your life (come on, we all know at least one) and watch their face crack into a monster-sized grin – it is a cool-looking gift to be sure.
The Review
I’m sure that, were I an experienced reviewer of alcohol, I’d have a process involving sniffing, swilling and spitting. As it is, I’m a Kiss fan, and therefore my process largely involves drinking the gin (and worrying about the consequences later). Nevertheless, thanks to an Autumnal yen for Sloe gin, I was able (with the help of two friends) to compare Cold Gin with a selection of gins, including Gordon’s, Bombay Sapphire, and Greenall’s. In the interests of science (or, at least, not dying), I also held another tasting two night’s later, this time in isolation. In both cases, the mixer of choice was Schweppes Tonic and ice – with no slice of lemon to disturb the flavour.
Of all the gins we [ahem] tested on night one, two things were noted by us all. The first is that the alcohol content of Cold Gin is by no means apparent. While Gordon’s has a slightly brittle edge that makes its lower alcohol content nonetheless plain, there is a smoothness to Cold Gin that makes it endlessly drinkable (and just slightly dangerous). Mixed with plain tonic, it is incredibly easy drinking, belying its 57% ABV. The other point of note is that Cold Gin offers up a mellow lemon palette that eclipses even that of Bombay Sapphire, a brand favoured for its citrusy tilt. When compared to the well-balanced Greenall’s and the intensely juniper flavoured Gordon’s,Cold Gin is both warmer and smoother, despite its tasteful botanical afternotes, and it certainly feels like a premium spirit.
On night two, I returned to the Cold Gin with a sense of respect instilled by the slight headache that followed the first session (note to self, comparing gins is sensible only at the weekend). Once again, I was impressed by the mellow lemon notes found in the gin, while the botanical notes were more apparent when not comparing the gin with other brands. No danger of a headache this time, as a single drink in advance of dinner established simply that Kiss Gin – Navy Strength is a very easy-to-drink spirit.
Conclusion
As a Kiss fan, having a bottle of Kiss Gin – Navy Strength on my shelf can never a bad thing be. As a gin drinker, it’s clear that real care and thought went into the creation of this special blend. The fact that its predecessor won awards (and I would be surprised if this wasn’t in the running this year) speaks volumes about the quality of the product, while our own experiments (however amateur) showed that this more than stacks up well against established brands. In short, Cold Gin – Navy Strength is an impressive premium gin at a competitive price packed into a bottle guaranteed to impress the Kiss fan in your life. Here’s hoping for a decent vodka next…
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With thanks to Jola and Peter for lending their taste buds to this fun experiment.
