Hendrick's Grand Cabaret

I've never really been a fan of any of the variants, or even the original, as I feel the unusual botanicals chosen are so aggressively on the palate that it feels more like a gin cordial than anything that could be 80 proof, let alone more. As far as this variant goes, I did have this once in a gin-heavy bar, and was very impressed at how the peach, cherry, and stone fruit really took the spotlight. The flavor was still a little too aggressive to be enjoyed as a unique gin, and instead tasted more like gin with added flavor syrups, but I'm happy that this is not the case. In any case, let's give this another try from the beginning. Did I accidentally spill peach schnapps in this? The nose is seriously full of this and not much else, but it's all very juicy and sweet overall. Additional notes of stone fruit, oily lemon peel, maraschino cherries, and sweet orange marmalade are also all present, with it all resting on a fairly dry body. The flavor starts off dry and coats the gums with a slight spice, as well as some dried citrus peels. The fruit from the nose is surprisingly second tier here, but still all comes through pretty well, if not also fairly muted. The finish returns to the dry and spicy notes of the forefront, with more of an ethanol burn than I would have expected. If the tasted flavors here sound disappointing and bleak, worry not; when I first tried this, I thought some ice would help the oils move around and the fruit come through, and this has already been proven to be the case on my end. Put some cubes in this and it becomes a cocktail all on it's own, and could easily get gin-shy individuals far more interested in the playfulness of botanical experimentation. If this is what I understand old-school Parisian gin to taste like, then this explains why the French take their food and drink so seriously.

Smells like a summer fruit salad. Peaches and cherries are more subtle when sipping and well combined with more herbal and floral notes. Some light juniper balances everything. A very well-made gin that I'm looking forward to using these last few weeks of summer.

Stone fruit, specifically peach and mango, are my preferred IPA flavor profiles, so I was anticipating this, and it received good reviews. However, to me, it overpowered the gin and had a slightly artificial taste. It wasn't bad, but I favor the base Hendrick's over this.

Perhaps the most fruit I've ever smelled in a gin. Plum is unmistakable. Possibly strawberry. The palate presents more stonefruit with a zesty herbal finish. Luxurious. Excellent for when you desire a fruity, celebratory gin, which was our case.

Truly, one of the best spirits I've ever encountered. It enhances the base product in a new way, leaning towards citrus and slightly tropical notes. It pairs wonderfully with a less-sweet tonic because of this.

I'm unsure if they are specifically aiming to create a gin that can be enjoyed neat, but I suspect that's the intention with this one. I prefer my gin drier with non-fruity botanicals, but I'll see how it performs in cocktails.