Colorado’s The Heart Distillery opened their doors in 2018 and have now begun featuring their award winning spirits, including their 2019 Best In Class winning Gin in a line of canned cocktails. We’ve previously covered their Gin and Tonic— which we loved— and now we’re trying their take on the Bee’s Knees.
The Heart Distillery Bee’s Knees is canned at 10% ABV and describes itself as “gin with honey, lavender, and lemon.”
Tasting notes
Aroma: Fruity floral, with lemon and lime soda, as well as a hint of lavender and green juniper. The aroma has some uncanny similarities to their gin and tonic, especially in the vibrant lemon and lime nose.
Flavor: Honeyed lemon eases into a mid-palate with some hints of juniper but some darker honey notes as well. Quite sweet throughout, lavender comes on most intensely late— complemented by some hints of rosemary, fresh cracked coriander seed and a bit more honey flavor.
Tight, but short lived effervescence is largely concentrated on entry.
Finish: On the sweeter side, with a long lasting wildflower and buckwheat honey note, brightened with some herbal botanical flavors as well.
Overall, The Heart Distillery Bee’s Knees
The Heart Distillery is consistently delivering some of the best gin canned cocktails on the market today. Their version of the Bee’s Knees is as close the original cocktail as a carbonated canned drink can get. That being said, the lavender is in good balance and doesn’t turn this into a one-note cocktail.
Lemon, honey and gin all take center stage. My only critique might be that The Heart Distillery Bee’s Knees is a bit sweet for my taste, and therefore I could only have one or two before it might become a bit cloying.
However, overall it’s easy-to-drink, true to the cocktail, and features clear gin character. It’s a winning version of the cocktail that I would recommend to anyone looking for a portable Bee’s Knees.
Recommended in its class.