Honeybee Gin is an ode to— and a celebration— of the pollinators that frequent the Warner Distillery farm where they grow many of the botanicals across their line of gins.
Tasting notes
Aroma: Dewy, floral at first. Honeyed with rose, lavender, chamomile and a robust bouquet of grapefruit
Flavor: Complex with citrus taking near center stage with the dewy floral notes. Lemon curd complements a bold burst of honeysuckle and elderflower. Mid-palate there’s a ton of grapefruit as well.
Honey and some hints of fruit— Honeycrisp Apple and orange blossom honey. The later part of the palate reveals some hints of spice; however, the individual notes are blurry, mostly presented as a single accord that some describe as “baking spice.”
Finish: Dewy and hazy with the glow of elderflower and chamomile tea adorned with a spoonful of honey
Cocktails and suggested serves
There’s so much emphasis on the honey notes in here, that I almost recommend shying away from a bees knees. It can add that slight honey note to a Tom Collins or Gin and Lemonade.
While Honeybee Gin works behind the bar, especially paired with lemon— I think this gin is most at home in mixed drinks. Gin and Tonic (especially with quinine-only expressions, avoid flavored tonics) and the Gin and Soda are beautiful summer drinks that this gin seems designed for.
Overall, Honeybee Gin
A beautiful spring and summer gin that is really about flowers and fruits. Some might find juniper too far down in the mix. It’s another gin that uses juniper as a canvas, and is content to let it slide into the background. If you look, you’ll find it. But some might be content to only focus on the leader singer— that harmonious melange of so many flowers that almost resembles all flowers more than it does any single one.
As a floral, flavorful celebration of bees, Honeybee Gin is another well-made gin from Warner’s Distillery.