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.