Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin

Sooooo good!!! I love how this brand changes color depending on what it is mixed with!!

Juniper, rose petal, elderflower, lavender, coriander, orris root, and lemon pith on the nose. Rounded and weighty on the palate – showing more coriander, juniper, rose petal, elderflower, and orris root, plus robust black pepper and a hint of cinnamon. Finishes long and smooth. 3.75/5.00 – Very Good (neat)

I did not know that adding ingredients after the distillation process would constitute a flavored gin, although I don't see how that would be confusing, just unexpected, but then again, creating any type of colored gin on the market is extremely out of place, with Empress 1908 being one of very few examples. In any case, I did not know that this was only the second release from this distillery, with a new cucumber lemon variant being released to the US about 6 months ago (maybe Ohio will see it in 2026), and even a standard cocktail gin also floating around somewhere. I don't remember really caring about the flavor of the indigo gin all the much, and found that most sales were dependent on the color changing gimmick, so I'm hoping that some of the very unique botanicals used in this blood-colored version improve upon its purple brother. I'm not really sure what the point is to focus so hard on making a colored gin other than pure presentation, but it does leave this one looking like watery fruit punch Kool Aid that's also still a deep hue, like you used double the amount of drink mix by volume, but then added ice cubes which have since melted. The juniper and ethanol are the powerful players with the first few smells in the glass, but the elderflower and lavender create a pure florality behind it, without any added sweetness. There is a citrus note as well, but closer to lemon than orange. Repeated smelling really stacks a spiciness on the nose, but it's more the ethanol than any specific herb or spice. Both the flavor and body begin as very neutral, and fairly weak. Citrus oil is the first real note that's detected, and although there's a general floral blend behind this, it's very dry, and other than a very small touch of rose, nothing stands out here. Repeated sips really just circle the block, beginning with neutral juniper, then a light spritz of citrus, and an almagam of a dry, floral finish, although the ethanol hits a little harder and hotter than expected at this proof point. Another questionable Empress 1908 gin makes me wonder just how well their cucumber lemon and cocktail variants are selling, since they aren't colored at all. Is that all this brand is good for, showing off a crazy and different cocktail hue? It's not like $40 is an odd or overly expensive MSRP, but with innumerable other options at that price point or lower, what am I really getting out of this as far as flavor goes? Sure it's serviceable, but something tells me that's not the selling point at the end of the day. Plus, this is the first and only gin I've ever seen that has a "best by" date as given by the distillery, and will noticeably fade in color (you know, the main selling point) and isn't recommended for further drinking after a mere year of being opened. In the end, there's nothing special here to recommend, providing the reason you're drinking gin is to actually drink the gin.