Hendrick’s Orbium Gin

About Hendrick’s Orbium Gin

William Grant & Sons in launched the Hendrick’s Dry Gin in 1999 as an addition to the portfolio of spirits and brands produced at the Girvan Distillery in South Ayrshire, Scotland. Thus it is famously known as “The Scottish Gin.” The Hendrick’s line was a nearly instantaneous success due to it’s unique flavor profile. That profile is achieved principally through two factors — the botanical mix and the distillation technique.

In addition to the traditional infusions of juniper and citrus, Hendrick’s signature botanicals include cucumber and Belgian rose. Distillation is completed in two parts. First the spirit is purified in an antique Carter-Head still which yields a very high initial proof. For the second distillation, the botanicals are added and allowed to steep for 24 hours. Then they are distilled in a small, Bennett pot still which maintains a high proof while allowing the heavier spirits and esters to pass through. This yields a heavier spirits with a desirable oily mouthfeel. This signature base Gin is their core offering and form the base for all of their other products.

Their newest release, Hendricks Orbium Gin is a custom formulation by their master distiller Lesley Gracie. Produced in astonishingly small batches of 500 liters each, Orbium is a “quininated” Gin. This means that, in addition to special extracts of blue lotus blossom snd wormwood, quinine is one of the major infusions. And that makes sense when you remember that the most famous Gin cocktail in the world in the G&T — Gin and Tonic. And tonic water is a cocktail mixer made with quinine. In this way it is akin to experiencing a G&T at full strength.

The gentle flavors combine to make Hendricks Orbium Gin nearly a cocktail in itself. You can definitely take it as a sipping Gin. But Hendrick’s recommends it served chilled with a splash of soda to reveal additional aromas in the effervescence.

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About Gin

According to Winston Churchill, “The gin and tonic has saved more Englishmen’s lives and minds than all the doctors in the Empire,” referring to the British officers using it to treat malaria in India.

Initially made for medicinal purposes, gin gets most of its flavor from the juniper berries added after the distillation process. It sure has come a long way from the Middle Ages, with the introduction of new botanicals, fruits, and spices, bringing it closer to people of all flavor varieties.