Review: Hendrick’s Flora Adora Gin
Hendrick’s is cranking out special editions like gin is going out of style, the latest being the Harry Potter-esque Flora Adora, the fourth installment in the Hendrick’s Cabinet of Curiosity lineup.
Designed by master distiller Lesley Gracie, Flora Adora is built around flowers, though details beyond that are sketchy. The base spirit includes all the elements of Hendrick’s core distillate — including rose and cucumber, which already makes Hendrick’s on the floral side to begin with — but let’s see where these extra blossoms take us.
The answer: Deep into the recesses of the perfume counter. Hendrick’s Flora Adora is — unequivocally — the most floral gin I’ve ever experienced, from start to finish. Aggressive notes of lavender and lilac give the nose a distinctly laundry-like feel, although the essence of grandma’s bathroom isn’t far away. Baby powder and potpourri wash out any semblance of juniper — or cucumber — though the rose petals linger.
The palate is a slightly more complex than the nose, but only just so: This is still monstrously dominated by floral notes, washing out most everything else. Give those dried and fresh flowers time to dissipate from the tongue and eventually you earn a respite in the form of mild juniper and earthy angelica, but the trip into the forest is a decidedly lengthy one, and honestly not all that exciting of a journey. The florals here clash with just about anything you might decide to mix with it; Hendrick’s cocktail ideas are mostly loaded with fruit juice and sweeteners, but even those can only go so far in covering up the flowery explosion. The finish sees lavender and dryer sheets lingering just about forever.
Maybe something you can use for punch at a Mother’s Day brunch?
86.8 proof.
C+ / $40 / hendricksgin.com
Hendrick's Flora Adora Gin
$40
I am not a big Gin drinker but I love this Gin! I like Hendricks in general if I drink Gin but this is my favorite so far! I drink it on the rocks because it is soggier it needs nothing to enhances it!
It is so good not soggier ?????
I agree with Christopher 100%! I’ve been drinking gin for over two decades, and this one is just too floral. It really doesn’t pair well with anything: not tonic, not as a martini (definitely not that!), not seltzer…it’s just too floral, and leaves the “Grandma’s Bathroom” scent lingering for far too long.
I love Hendricks.. this is terrible!!
Tastes like perfume
Quit making it please…those saying they like it probably don’t know anything about good Gin!
Had to cut it 50/50 with cheap Bombay, added lime,lemon,a fresh bay leaf,tonic and it became very drinkable, cheers. The bay leaf realt cut the floral scent.
Works for me!
This is SO nasty! I had a taste test shot in a liquor store and I thought it was bad. I could not get taste out of my mouth. I will stick to my fave regular bottle if Hendricks which is amazing. Not a fan
Tastes like drinking flowers. Amazing. Y’all are hating on this….but don’t worry, no one’s going to question your masculinity if you admit that you like it.
Here’s how to enjoy this stuff: Drinking it straight is like opening up a perfume atomizer from your grandmother’s vanity and downing the contents. Truly obnoxious.
Instead, use it as a condiment: Try a gin sour with 2oz Plymouth or London dry gin, somewhere between 1 tsp and 1/4oz of Flora Adora (to taste), 1/2oz lemon, 3/4oz simple. Shake with ice, strain into coupe. Terrific.
Unpleasantly floral by itself but a revelation in a French 75.