McHenry Classic Dry Gin

Rating:	★★★★★☆
Score:	92/100
ABV:	40%
Region:	Tasmania, Australia
Body:	Medium
Intensity:	Medium
Texture:	Medium
Balance:	Heavenly
Best served:	Neat, with tonic, in a cocktail, mixed
Theme(s):	Soft creamy juniper berries with citrus and coriander lying on a foundation of licorice
In a nutshell:	The gin without the pungent smell or taste of alcohol!
Likes:	Smooth, floral and fragrant with very little harshness
Dislikes:	Easily lost in a mixed drink
Price:	$55

McHenry Classic Dry Gin is a Tasmanian gin that has a mellow and delightfully fragrant delivery with the perfume of botanicals masking the harsh alcohol lurking within. That is what makes this gin extremely enjoyable, and perfect for mixing with tonic or in a cocktail: no noticeable harshness of alcohol. 

Group blind tasting 

I decided to do something different with my gin reviews. Because my partner and family enjoy gin and tonic, I conducted a little experiment over the weekend. This experiment involved serving neat gin (McHenry Dry Gin, Tanqueray Ten, Spirit of Hven and Bulldog Gin) to four people and asking them to select one they liked the smell of most. Next, the gin was mixed with tonic and the people were asked to elect a favourite based on taste. Tasting was done blind.

  

The gin and tonic made with the McHenry Classic Dry Gin was the unanimous favourite. All the people said the McHenry Gin was their favourite for its smell and taste. The least favourite was the Tanqueray Ten. Feedback on the McHenry Gin was that it was: 

•  "not alcoholic"; 
• "not bitter"; 
• "not harsh";
• "smooth"
• "not too strong"; 
• "softer";
• "sweeter"
• "not overpowering"

The Tanqueray was described as being overly pungent and overpowering, with an alcoholic harshness that made everybody cringe. In an extra glass I added double the amount of McHenry Gin, and still everybody unanimously preferred the tonic with the McHenry Gin. They said it was strong but not "alcoholic" like the Tanqueray, and that it just had a more "intense" flavour but was not "off-putting like the Tanqueray". 

Blind Tasting

I blind tasted the McHenry Classic Dry Gin alongside the other gins, and it was also my favourite. It was smooth, floral and fragrant with the aroma of diverse botanicals meeting the nose as the bouquet of flavours moved to the palate without disruption. It was creamy and soft, with subtle juniper berries, coriander, orange peel, anise seed and a fusion of other plants that merged wonderfully together. 

I cannot add much more than the unanimous opinion of four people... make that five!