Wild Roots Cucumber and Grapefruit Infused Gin

Flavor Profile

Wild Roots Spirits’ line of products including their two gins all begin as Wild Roots corn-based vodka. The gin has no color nor sediment. Wild Roots Cucumber and Grapefruit flavored gin is an infusion of natural flavors based on their London Dry Gin.

Tasting Notes

The nose is heavy with full bodied, vegetal cucumber— peels and all. It’s far more literally and intensely cucumber than other flavored gins. It calls to mind a bit the nose of Conniption American Dry Gin, far more than some of the more popular cucumber essence gins like Martin Miller’s or Hendrick’s.

That being said, Wild Roots Cucumber and Grapefruit Infused Gin is a one note wonder on the nose. Grapefruit is quiet, if not completely absent.

The palate is a quick 180. Robust white grapefruit takes the palate by storm. It’s jammy and somewhat sweet, with bitter pips and rind facets.

Mid-palate, there’s a hint of juniper coming through. It’s largely herbaceous and green. Cucumber skin and bitter green vegetal notes take on the role of counterpoint.

The finish shows a bit of gin botanical depth. There’s a smidge of cinnamon with a citric acid, lemon juice type tang.

There’s a lot of astringency on the finish which gives Wild Roots Cucumber and Grapefruit a citrus impression.

Cocktails

Wild Roots Cucumber and Grapefruit Infused Gin is a good mixing gin, especially right off the shelf. It’s delicious in a Gin and Tonic. To the point that it almost seems designed specifically for it.

Some of the notes from the grapefruit and cucumber don’t lend themselves readily to working in every cocktail. Bartenders should be cautious; however, herbal cocktails seem to be the best. Try it in cocktails with a strong chartreuse presence like the Last Word or Alaska Cocktail.

Overall, Wild Roots Cucumber and Grapefruit Infused Gin

The flavored gin market is crowded and there’s a lot of good product widely available. It can be tough to stand out.

Wild Roots’ design decisions aren’t entirely successful. The bitter/astringent citrus on the finish distracts from the things it does do on the palate. The nose and palate seem as if they come from entirely different spirits.

Overall, in the right contexts it can work—but fans of grapefruit and cucumber have a lot of options to choose from and it’s hard to see where this gin fits in the big picture.