Review: Hendrick’s Lunar Gin   72.5/100
A review by Chip Dykstra
Posted September 21, 2023

Hendrick’s Gin is produced in Scotland, in the village of Girvin, Ayrshire by William Grant & Sons (who are perhaps better known for their whisky distillations than their gin).  It is made small batches using two unusual stills, a copper Bennett Still which has been dated to 1860, and a Carter-Head still made in 1948. These stills each serve a different purpose, but together they create a unique gin spirit which is infused with cucumber and rose petals.

The people who make Hendrick’s Gin pride themselves on being just a little quirky, and perhaps a bit eccentric. Their offbeat website revels in the odd and the peculiar and tries to convince all who peruse the site that Hendrick’s Gin is special exactly because of the things which make it odd and peculiar. Hendrick’s Lunar Gin is one of the new peculiar Limited Edition spirits in the Hendrick’s Cabinet of Curiosity lineup which has recently arrived in Canada sporting odd names like Flora Adora, Neptunia, Orbium and in this case Lunar Gin.

Lunar Gin was created by their Master Distiller Lesley Gracie, and released as a Limited Edition in 2021. According to the promotional materials:

HENDRICK’S LUNAR GIN is deeply floral and richly aromatic. It is an intriguing combination of the refreshing and the warm, designed to be shared and savoured on an evening as the sun goes down and the moon charges the sky.

Hendrick’s Lunar Gin is bottled at 43.4% alcohol by volume.

In The Bottle 5/5

All Hendrick’s Gins are sold in the squat cylindrical bottle shown to the left. At first, I thought the bottle was designed to look like a kettle still with its kettle pot shape. I think I was wrong, the shape instead is meant to replicate an old style apothecary bottle meant to add a curios charm to the overall presentation.

In The Glass 7/10

Like the previously reviewed Flora Adora, Hendrick’s Lunar Gin is a bit of a floral bomb. It kind of reminds me of a potpourri bath mix with firm floral scents of roses, pansies, chamomile, blue iris, and touches of lemon balm. sort of notice some juniper in the background, but it is definitely hiding. Maybe it, like me is trying to avoid the heady fumes of perfume.

In the Glass 43/50

I was warned on the nose that the gin was going to be more floral than traditional. Thankfully I do receive some solace with a light touch of juniper in the flavour profile. But it is not nearly firm enough for a spirit which calls itself gin. Flavours of rose petals, chamomile and lemon balm prevail with some grassy undercurrents which hint at fresh mint all seem to ambush the juniper and leave me dissatisfied.  This is not the most floral gin I have encountered (that would be Flora Adora) but it is a close second.

Another struggle I have is the Lunar theme. The floral impressions I receive are much more in line with the smells of the early morning blooms after a brief rain than they are of an enchanted evening under the moon. At least that is my impression.

In The Throat 10.5/15

The finish is very floral and quite peppery too. Again my struggle is in finding the juniper.  I am beginning to wonder if the folks at Hendrick’s actually like the traditional flavour of the spirit they claim to create.

The Afterburn  7/10

I guess I do not understand Hendrick’s perfumed obsession with florals. When I purchase a spirit called gin, I expect juniper to be at the forefront rather than hiding behind a mass of flowers. I just don’t know what to do with a spirit like this. I cannot sip it, as the perfume in the finish is disconcerting and cloying, and I cannot seem to find any sort of satisfactory cocktail to enjoy.  The crazy thing is that some of my gin loving friends seem to really like the Lunar Gin. It was highly recommended that I should sample and review it.  I guess I’ll save the rest of the bottle for them.

You may read some of my other Gin Reviews (click the link) if you wish to have some comparative reviews.

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My Final Score is out of 100 and you may (loosely) interpret that score as follows:

0-25     A spirit with a rating this low would actually kill you.
26-49   Depending upon your fortitude you might actually survive this.
50 -59  You are safe to drink this…but you shouldn’t.
60-69   Substandard swill which you may offer to people you do not want to see again.
70-74    Now we have a fair mixing spirit.  Accept this but make sure it is mixed into a cocktail.
75-79    You may begin to serve this to friends, again probably still cocktail territory.
80-84    We begin to enjoy this spirit neat or on the rocks. (I will still primarily mix cocktails)
85-89    Excellent for sipping or for mixing!
90-94    Definitely a primary sipping spirit, in fact you may want to hoard this for yourself.
95-97.5 The Cream of the Crop
98+       I haven’t met this bottle yet…but I want to.

Very loosely we may put my scores into terms that you may be familiar with on a Gold, Silver, and  Bronze medal  scale as follows:

70 – 79.5    Bronze Medal (Recommended only as a mixer)
80 – 89.5     Silver Medal (Recommended for sipping and or a high quality mixer)
90 – 95         Gold Medal (Highly recommended for sipping and for sublime cocktails.)
95.5+            Platinum Award (Highest Recommendation)