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Liquor Review: Hendrick’s Gin

Published on September 14th, 2007 in Gin by Hunter

Hendrick's Gin Hendrick’s Gin is a small batch gin produced in Ayrshire, Scotland and is distilled from a proprietary recipe. Hendrick’s Gin is infused with the traditional juniper, coriander, and citrus peel flavors you may expect to find in gin, but Hendrick’s also infuses a couple unexpected botanicals. The unexpected infused flavor comes from cucumber and rose petals, giving the gin a truly iconoclastic taste. The cucumber and rose petal infusion gives this gin a truly different and unique flavor.

I discovered this gin at a wonderful bar in Atlanta for which I may or may not write a feature article. I was raving about Tanqueray Rangpur, and the bartender suggested I try this stuff. It really surprised me. I could almost immediately taste the cucumber and rose petal flavor. It was like no gin I had ever consumed. The unique taste pleased my already intoxicated palate. Hendrick’s Gin is pretty tasty when sober, but this stuff shines when you have already been drinking. The extra bit of infused flavor is a delicious melody to a drunken man’s palate. It’s the perfect gin to drink for my preferred time at the end of a long night of drinking or when you notice the room is spinning and need a special beverage to sip the room stationary once more.

Hendrick’s Gin is pretty smooth to sip straight, but behold its glory with a splash of tonic water! The taste of Hendrick’s Gin is definitely one for the gin drinker. You definitely catch a rush of piney flavor to go along with the wonderfly unique taste, so if you really don’t like the tradition gin taste, don’t bother trying this stuff. If you are accustomed to the flavor of gin, Hendrick’s opens the door to a bright and cheery summer’s day of flavor.

Simply put, this gin will get you DRUNK. I have never consumed another gin that even came close to the drunkability of Hendrick’s Gin. After a single drink, I could definitely feel the onset of a buzz. After the third drink, I was drunk. The fourth, well, got me really tanked. I have never had a gin get to me the way this stuff did. I’m not sure if it was the rose petals, cucumber, or something else magical in this stuff that made me that way, but I am very grateful. The buzz from this stuff was unusually sloppy for a gin and even heavy. I felt like I had just been smacked around a bit after eating at a delicious buffet. I’m not sure what others will think of the buzz Hendrick’s brings, but I found it to be fantastic.

If there is a downer to this gin, it would have to be the hangover it produces the next day. I was somewhat surprised at both the seriousness and the longevity of the groggy, hungover feeling. I was greeted in the morning with a moderate headache that faded quickly, but I felt pretty drained most of the following day. I also had a very unpleasant taste in my mouth even after brushing my teeth and eating a couple times. I never expect this kind of hangover from drinking gin since I always mix it with tonic water. I guess all the wonderfully flavorful infusions brought the ugly hangover fairy the next day.

At around $30 for a 750ml bottle, the price may be a little steep for the casual gin drinker, but I recommend at least sampling it. I would recommend Tanqueray Rangpur for the drinker that usually doesn’t enjoy the taste of gin. Gin drinkers out there rejoice! Buy a bottle of Hendrick’s Gin or ask for it at your local watering hole; you may be crawling out the door. If you fancy yourself a gin drinker and enjoy a good, flavorful gin, Hendrick’s Gin is a must-buy.

Sipability – 6.0

Mixability – 7.0

Drunkability – 8.0

Hangover-ability – 6.0

Bang for the Buck – 5.5

Overall – 7.0