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Empress 1908 Cucumber Lemon Gin
About Empress 1908 Cucumber Lemon Gin
It’s been a long time since we first reviewed a product from Empress 1908, and they’ve released some new products in recent years. While I’m interested in all of their products after our positive experience with the indigo gin, the Empress 1908 Cucumber Lemon Gin in particular caught my eye. Hendricks is one of my personal favorite gins, so I was excited to try another gin with notes of cucumber.
Empress 1908 was created in 2016 in collaboration with the iconic Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, Canada. The gin is inspired by the hotel’s renowned afternoon tea program and the “1908” in the name is the year the hotel was first established.
Just like all of their other gins, Empress 1908 Cucumber Lemon Gin is distilled by Victoria Distillers in Sidney, British Columbia, Canada. It’s made using eight botanicals, including cucumber, lemon and orange peel, juniper, jasmine, and cardamom.
Bottle Specs
❖ Spirit: Canadian Contemporary Gin
❖ Distillery: Victoria Distillers
❖ ABV: 42.5% (84 Proof)
❖ Moderate Price
Tasting Notes
❖ Nose: Lemon, Juniper, Spice
❖ Taste: Cucumber, Lemon Lime Soda, Floral, Noticeable Heat
❖ Finish: Medium, Juniper, Spice, Clove
Cocktail
Cantaloupe Smash
2 oz Gin
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
4 Leaves of Mint
3 Cubes Cantaloupe
❖ Add cantaloupe cubes and all liquids into a shaker and muddle
❖ Add mint leaves and gently muddle to express oils
❖ Add ice and shake to chill
❖ Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice and garnish with mint sprig and cantaloupe balls
Initially, I had lofty cocktail ideas inspired by the central flavors in Empress 1908 Cucumber Lemon Gin. But, I put them aside as soon as I saw this recipe for a Cantaloupe Smash directly from Empress 1908. I’ve never used cantaloupe in a cocktail before, but I was optimistic the flavor would pair perfectly with the notes of cucumber.
The cucumber and cantaloupe are in fact the most the dominant flavors, and they give the overall flavor of the cocktail a fresh and crisp quality, just like I was hoping. Although the bitter and earthy notes from Empress 1908 Cucumber and Lemon Gin are fairly strong, it’s balanced by all the sweet and fruity flavors. The bitterness continues to fade as the ice melts. The lemon was surprisingly subtle, but this might be better than over-complicating the flavor. I will definitely keep this cocktail in mind when I’m looking for a refreshing summer drink.
Bottom Line
RATING: 3/5
There are plenty of things I like about Empress 1908 Cucumber Lemon Gin, but much like our last review of an Empress 1908 product, I found this gin to be an uneven experience. I like that it has typical gin notes, like juniper, along with the bold cucumber and lemon, but I wish these flavors were more cohesive. Instead, it goes from sweet and refreshing with lemon notes that are reminiscent of a soda or lemonade, then quickly changes to strong bitter, earthy juniper notes on the finish.
Although I might not be drinking Empress Cucumber Lemon Gin on it’s own too often, it really shines as a cocktail mixer. The cucumber and lemon are perfect for experimenting with cocktail ideas, while there are still plenty of typical gin notes like juniper, so it also works well in many classic cocktails. And, the cucumber adds a pleasantly refreshing quality to the overall flavor. Unfortunately, it might be priced a little too high to be used solely as a cocktail mixer, so I might be tempted to chose something cheaper and get the cucumber flavor from another ingredient. But, as long as you have the budget, Empress 1908 Cucumber Lemon Gin is a solid option for cocktails.
As always, drink responsibly.
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