Hendrick's Lunar Gin

Really nice, light gin, perfectly paired with a cucumber slice (or a few) in a G+T or neat. Much preferred by me over Orbium, and would like to try the other types of Hendrick’s to see how they stack up, but to me Lunar is better than the standard Hendrick’s, for those who don’t like floral gins and for drinks on the drier side.

Hit the local liquor store today and bought a few things. Amongst them was a bottle of Hendrix Lunar and Hendrix Neptunia. I'll be comparing both to the stock Hendrix expression and to gin in general. For the record, I don't really drink G&T. Gin and juice? Yes (fresh squeezed, always). Gin Martinis? Absolutely, they are like life's blood in my household. My wife and I enjoy a Martini most days (although I'm happy to play with a Rob Roy or Manhattan variant as well). Gin neat? Never unless it's a tasting. Gin on the rocks? Sure, from time to time. That said... This expression tasted neat from a glencairn. A good rest was provided for the pour to settle in. This is flowery on the nose. It is redolent of a mixed bouquet straight from a really good florist. The flowers are anchored by an alcohol-based perfume, although the raw impact of the ethanol is tamed quite a bit. I get lavender and rose hips, chamomile and traces of bergamot. It suggests a potpourri candy bar, with a foundation of sweetness holding together a complex mixture of flowers and spices. Compared to the standard Hendrix expression, this is at once more potently packed with fragrance and is significantly more complex. Hendrix smells like a sweet London Dry, the Lunar smells like a lush summer garden at night. Very impressive if you're into that sort of thing (and fortunately I am). On the palate this remains complex but the profile turns towards a greener note with cucumber skins riding on top of a faint, sweet green pepper note. Citrus is strongly present without overpowering the profile. The juniper is far enough forward to satisfy a Martini enthusiast without the gin getting lost in the vermouth. It's a sweet sipper, with just a slight note of black pepper and a soft fade into something that reminds me of cilantro or fresh cut parsley. The finish is sweet, warm and clean. In a Martini (4:1) using Martini & Rossi dry (not my favorite, but my wife's favorite and a household staple) the vegetal elements come forward a bit more. It tastes of garden plants, cut flowers, juniper and honeysuckle. Quite complex and refreshing, if not as bracing as something like a Citadelle or Bombay Sapphire (our house standard). This makes a fine Martini! This is a semi-stop sweeter than the standard expression and misses the slightly sour notes I sometimes get from bog standard Hendrix. The ethanol is pushed back a bit as well, making this creamier, smoother and more approachable. Nicely done! This is a really good gin. For under $40 its a reasonable value and I think its a better Martini gin than Nolet's Silver gin, for example. I'll say it's very competitive with Drumshanbo Irish Gunpowder, but different enough that a gin-head will likely want both (I do). This is clearly a very good product, well above average. Not Monkey 47 good, but not embarrassed by that comparison either. I like this a lot. I'm going to pursue these Hendrix special releases. They're on a roll and they're inexpensive and readily available (in my market). If, on a 5 point scale an average mass market release is a 2.5 (Tanqueray, Gordons), then this deserves a full point or more bump. But it's not quite to the level of extraordinary (4.0). I gave Citadelle a 3.5 (great value for a juniper-forward London Dry), and this is a touch better if quite a bit different. It diverges from the expected path and delivers a unique experience for the enthusiast. I'm giving this a generous 3.75 but I think maybe the Neptunia bests it, so it might be the three drinks I've had making me feel magnanimous. So be it. 3.75 it is.