William Grant & Sons (Girvan, Scotland)
Hendrick's Gin Review
Contemporary Gin (Cucumber & Rose Infused) · Unaged
The cucumber-and-rose gin that converted vodka drinkers — delicious and distinctive, reviewed honestly, premium and marketing all.
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Rating Breakdown
Flavor Profile
Tasting Journey
Nose
Distinctive cucumber and floral rose over soft juniper, citrus, and coriander — unmistakably Hendrick's
Palate
Soft and floral — cucumber, rose, gentle juniper, and citrus, smooth and approachable rather than punchy
Finish
Length: Short-MediumSoft, floral, and clean, on the short side
Hendrick's Gin
Specs
Price / Value
Your Rating
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Our Score: 86/100
Pairings
Food
- Cucumber sandwiches
- mild soft cheeses
- smoked salmon
- garden salads
Cocktails
- Hendrick's G&T with cucumber (its signature)
- Elderflower Collins
- less at home in juniper-forward classics
Our Verdict
Hendrick's is the gin that converted a generation of vodka drinkers — soft, floral, and unmistakable thanks to its cucumber and rose infusion. It is delicious and distinctive, but you pay a premium for a marketing-led style in which juniper takes a back seat. Superb in a cucumber G&T; not the gin for a classic, juniper-forward Martini.
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Shop at Cask CartelHow We Score
Every spirit is tasted blind in a Glencairn glass across multiple sessions on different days. We score on a 100-point weighted scale, recording notes before the label is revealed to eliminate brand bias.
Rating Criteria
Aroma complexity, intensity, and appeal
Flavor depth, balance, and mouthfeel
Length, evolution, and lingering notes
Quality relative to price point
Layered character and uniqueness
No gin did more to make gin cool again than Hendrick's. Launched in 1999 by William Grant & Sons, its trick is a post-distillation infusion of cucumber and Bulgarian rose, layered over eleven botanicals distilled in two very different stills. The result is soft, floral, and instantly recognizable — the gin that quietly won over people who "didn't like gin."
The nose is pure Hendrick's: cool cucumber and rose petals over gentle juniper, citrus, and coriander. It is lovely, and it is nothing like Tanqueray.
On the palate — and an honest word
Soft, floral, and easy: cucumber, rose, mild juniper, and citrus, smooth and approachable rather than assertive. That is the appeal — and the catch. This is a contemporary, flavour-led gin in which juniper is a supporting player, and at its price you are paying partly for a very well-executed marketing story. In a cucumber-garnished Gin & Tonic it shines; drop it into a classic Dry Martini and it can read thin and perfumed where a juniper-forward gin sings.
The verdict
Hendrick's is genuinely delicious and worth owning if you love its signature style — just know what it is: a soft, floral, contemporary gin at a premium price, not a classic London Dry. For juniper-forward classics, our Sipsmith and Tanqueray picks deliver more for less. Different tools for different gin jobs.
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