Henstone Rosé Gin

The gin is aged in new American oak casks, filled at 65% and only reduced to its bottling strength of 44.9% after maturation. Henstone starts from its London DryLondon DryA style, not a place of origin: every flavour comes from distilling natural botanicals. After distillation only water and a trace of sugar may be added, with no flavouring or colouring.GlossarySee London Dry gins recipe, so Rosé Gin is an aged London Dry rather than a flavoured ginFlavoured ginGin with flavourings, often fruity, added after distillation. It may be coloured and lightly sweetened.GlossarySee Flavoured gin gins, and the wood is what gives it a subtle vanilla flavour and a light golden hue.

Woody · Dry · Spicy · Vanilla

Beneath the oak, the botanicals are traditional: juniper, coriander, angelica, cardamom and citrus peel. The cask does not replace them. It softens the edges, adds a gentle sweetness and changes the texture, while the dry juniper line remains recognisable. Filling at 65% rather than at bottling strength matters, because a stronger spirit draws flavour from the wood differently, and new oak gives up its vanilla faster and more directly than a cask that has already been used. Despite a name that suggests pink, there is no red fruit here: the colour comes from the wood alone.

Citrus and juniper appear first on the nose, followed by cardamom and the rounder scent of new oak. Vanilla develops across the palate, with a mild woody grip returning in the finish, so the gin sits comfortably between a classic London Dry and a lightly aged spirit. The recognition has followed its method: winner of the Aged GinBarrel-aged ginGin rested for a while in wooden casks. It picks up a golden colour and notes of vanilla, spice or the wine that filled the cask before.GlossarySee Barrel-aged gin gins category at The Gin Guide Awards 2025, then a Gold in 2026, the year Henstone was named Distillery of the Year.

Henstone's own serve is over ice with a slice of fresh root ginger and a good-quality ginger ale, and the pairing makes sense: ginger broadens the spice without flattening the oak. Measure 4 cl of gin against 10 cl of premium ginger ale over large ice cubesLarge iceOne large block melts far more slowly than several small cubes, so the drink stays cold without watering down.Glossary, then add a slice of fresh ginger and a twist of orangeTwistA strip of peel twisted over the glass to release its oils, then dropped into the drink.Glossary peel. The gin is equally good neat over ice with a piece of orange.