Hendrick’s Gin 41.4%

350 ml, 700 ml / 41.4%

New Western

Price range: $34 through $48

Rose and cucumber float cool above a soft, peppery juniper, citrus peel and a touch of chamomile rounding it out. Two gins distilled apart, one robust from a pot still, one delicate from a rare Carter Head, then married and lifted with rose and cucumber. Floral, fresh and pleasingly odd.

SKU GN0029 Categories Gin, Hendrick's, New Western Brand: Hendrick's

Description

Hendrick's, made since 1999 by William Grant & Sons, built its reputation on doing things the long way round. Two spirits are distilled separately, a full-bodied pot still gin and a lighter one from an unusual Carter Head still, then blended, a process that looks inefficient and is precisely the brand's signature. Eleven botanicals underpin it, including chamomile, elderflower, citrus peel, angelica, coriander and cubeb, before rose and cucumber essences are folded in to finish.

The nose is mild, floral and earthy, juniper and citrus threaded with fennel and a touch of liquorice. The palate turns peppery and tart, with cooling rose and cucumber, ahead of a long, light, dry finish. Skip the lemon: this wants a good tonic and a ribbon of cucumber.