Style: Dry Gin
Proof: 86.8 (43.4% ABV)
Region: Girvan, Scotland
Hendrick’s Gin has a reputation for doing things a bit differently. Their gin is best known among bartenders for its unique subtle cucumber character, and with their newest limited release, the Grand Cabaret, the team at Hendrick’s is taking things in another unique direction. With the Grand Cabaret, Master Distiller Lesley Gracie took inspiration from stone fruit eau de vie, a type of unaged brandy distilled from peaches that was popular in Paris in the early 1900s. The Grand Cabaret promises to be alluring to “free-spirited souls seeking a wildly indulgent, yet refreshing spirit for glorious gatherings of all manner.” Let’s see how indulgent and refreshing Hendrick’s Grand Cabaret actually is.
Tasting notes
On the nose, the predominant aroma is peach. One could be quickly forgiven for mistaking this spirit for some sort of stone fruit brandy or liqueur. Beneath the strong bouquet of peach, there is a hint of juniper, rose, and sweet cherry. Once sipped, more of the classic flavor notes associated with Hendrick’s gin start to come through. The peach and rose petal flavors are still quite prominent, but juniper, coriander, cucumber and other herbs round things out nicely. It’s an all around lively, bold, and refreshing pour.
Final thoughts
Hendrick’s Grand Cabaret is a delicious, but singular gin. Its strong fruit-forward aroma and flavor would disqualify it from use in many classic gin cocktails — most notably the Negroni or Martini. However, it’s perfectly tailored for a gin and tonic, or for use in some sort of spritz. However you choose to mix with it, Grand Cabaret provides a floral, fruity, vibrant base for all of your spring and summer cocktails.
