A Burst of Hibiscus? or something else...
... Hendricks Flora Adora Review...
So… it’s taken me a little longer than I'd hoped to get my new Hendricks Gin Flora Adora review out to you.
Long story short, my husband Alan got so unwell he needed life-saving, emergency surgery on his back seven days ago. Whilst he’s been unwell, and since he got home from the hospital, my focus has understandably been elsewhere. Thank you so much to all my lovely subscribers who have messaged me to check up how he’s doing. So thoughtful, I am very grateful.
I’m happy to say he’s doing rather well. Even though he still has quite a gaping hole in his back and needs to be taken on daily round trips to see the nurse at our local GP for the foreseeable future for wound checks and dressing changes, I’m proud to say he did venture back into the office for the first time today.
What a worrying time it’s been, yet how lucky we are to have the NHS there for us.
Apologies if the next thing I say sounds trite, and like a dreadful BBC-radio-two-style segway, but he’s literally gone from death’s door to coming up roses!
Talking of roses, onto my Hendricks Flora Adora Review
Infused with rose and cucumber, the new release Hendrick’s Flora Adora Gin is crafted from a refreshing infusion of garden florals. Inspired by the flowers that most entice our nectar loving friends to pollinate our precious ecosystem, HENDRICK’S FLORA ADORA is crafted from a refreshingly floral infusion.
My delivery from Clink Spirit* arrived in beautiful protective (all recyclable) packaging. It was a presentation box that reminded me very much of the Camberwick Green box. Those of you of my own generation reading this will undoubtedly know exactly what I mean! To quote the lovely Brian Cant:
“Here is a box, a musical box, wound up and ready to play. But this box hides a secret inside, can you guess what is in it today?”
The gin was £31 and delivery was free. *if you click my Clink* referral link to place an order, you’ll save £10 when you spend £60 or over, so you might like to grab yourself some tonics or another Hendricks gin like Neptunia or Original at the same time (£60 for two) to make that lovely saving and only pay £50. Full disclosure, I will also get £10 off my next Clink* order too for referring a friend. The referral scheme is something you might like to look at next time you spread the word to friends about Clink*. Very easy to do.
On The Nose
Onto opening the bottle… (surely I’m not alone in my habit of always having to sniff the top of a gin bottle the moment that stopper pleasingly pops off?)
Oh my goodness. Quite a strong, instant hit of floral on the nose. Almost overpowering actually.
My mind instantly starting searching for a childhood memory to identify the flowers I was smelling. Roses yes. Not lavender although I believe that is one of the botanicals used. I felt instantly transported to being 6-year-old Robbie again in my grandmother’s garden, mashing and swishing rose petals in jam jars with a little water to make my own ‘perfume’. That was potent stuff, I remember it like it was yesterday.
So, yes, this gin is quite a perfumey gin. But I wasn’t only getting rose. There was something else. Was it Peonies? Geraniums? Honeysuckle?
According to the Ginfluencers UK youtube video that came out a couple of days ago, Hendricks are saying Italian Hibiscus is one of the botanicals.
Anyway, it is quite heady. And it tastes exactly the same. 43.4% ABV.
On first sip, it definitely gives your lips a pleasing tingle!
Quite bitter on the finish.
What tonic would I recommend with it? Not what I had (Schweppes Indian which was just what I happened to have on hand in the fridge the day the parcel arrived). I could have planned it better.
It would probably be best balanced paired with a Fever-Tree ‘Refreshingly Light’ Mediterranean Tonic I think. Or even a Sicilian Lemonade. And I wouldn’t garnish with cucumber or rose petals like the Ginfluencer boys, there’s enough rose going on already. I’d recommend a citrus garnish, probably with a lime or grapefruit wheel as someone in their comments has said. And lots of ice.
Floral gin is not to everyone’s taste, but I’d love to hear your thoughts if you do try this curiously Limited Edition creation.
That moment you take your first and subsequent sips is definitely a unique moment in time for anyone like me who has happy childhood memories of adventures in your grandmother’s garden.
Enjoy!
To all fellow UK mothers (and grandmothers) reading this, I sincerely hope you have a wonderfully relaxed Mother’s Day this weekend.
With love,
Robbie x
