If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Robb Report may receive an affiliate commission.
It’s been a long, cold winter in certain corners of the country, but finally the first hints of spring have arrived as wisps of warm air slowly displace the polar vortex that has long overstayed its welcome. As far as drinking is concerned, that means that many people are thinking about putting dark spirits like whiskey back in the liquor cabinet and dusting off their bottles of gin. The timing could not be better for the arrival of this new limited-edition release from Hendrick’s called Oasium, a fruit-forward and refreshing new expression that works well in a variety of cocktails.
Hendrick’s was founded a little over a quarter century ago in 1999 and was considered to be kind of a disruptor in a category mostly known for juniper-heavy London dry style gins (many of which are excellent in their own right, to be clear). The recipe contains 11 botanicals, but the defining ingredients are rose and cucumber, something that was unique at the time. Hendrick’s, which is owned by William Grant & Sons (Glenfiddich, the Balvenie, Sailor Jerry Rum), is produced at the Girvan distillery in Scotland. While marketing guru Steven Grasse is credited with coming up with the concept, it was Lesley Gracie who was charged with actually creating the liquid. She remains the master distiller for the brand and has added several innovations over the years as part of the Cabinet of Curiosities lineup.
Oasium is the sixth expression in the Cabinet of Curiosities series, which is named after a cabinet in which Gracie keeps different botanicals that she can experiment with. Previous gins include Midsummer Solstice, an intensely floral expression, and Grand Cabaret, which was supposed to be a nod to turn of the (20th) century Paris. The brand is usually pretty tightlipped about what the specific botanicals are that differentiate these new releases from the core gin. That remains the case here, with Hendrick’s only stating in very vague terms that the gin is flavored with “a lush blend of green botanicals, delicate herbs, and a kiss of citrus.”
The inspiration behind Oasium is said to be a trip that Gracie took to a desert oasis where she encountered camel polo and “sun-drenched sands.” “It was such a remarkable journey that I had to capture it in a gin, preserving the memory forever,” she said in a statement. “As someone who’s always in search of new flavors, it was fascinating to see what plants grow and thrive in an oasis. There’s a very distinct, fresh green character and bright citrus note to Hendrick’s Oasium, rounded off by aromatic herbs that play delightfully well together.”
We got an early sample of Oasium, and it is indeed very different from the core expression. The first notes that jump out on the nose and palate are ripe peach and apricot, with a hint of strawberry just underneath, all of which is rounded out by flavors of tropical fruit, citrus, green apple, and a bit of baking spice. It’s almost like a flavored gin, but without the overbearing sweetness that you’d usually find in that type of spirit, making this a great choice to use in any summertime cocktail. Hendrick’s Oasium is available now (SRP $40) at retailers around the country, and you can also find it at websites like Total Wine.
