There are gins that announce themselves with fanfare, and there are those that simply arrive — composed, assured, quietly brilliant. Herno Gin belongs to the latter camp. A London Dry at 40.5% ABV, it carries the hallmarks of a style that demands precision: clean distillation, juniper at the helm, and a botanical bill that knows when to speak and when to listen.
A Northern Expression of a Classic Style
What strikes me about Herno Gin is its restraint. The London Dry category can be a crowded room, full of gins shouting over one another to be heard. This one doesn't raise its voice. At £35.25, it sits in that considered middle ground — neither entry-level nor extravagant — and it wears that positioning well. The ABV of 40.5% gives it just enough backbone to stand up in a cocktail without bulldozing the conversation.
London Dry, as a classification, tells you something about method rather than geography. The botanicals must be added during distillation, nothing artificial permitted after the fact. It's a discipline, and one that rewards the distiller who understands balance. Herno Gin feels like the work of someone who has spent time getting the proportions right — a gin built on craft rather than novelty.
I score it 7.2 out of 10. It's a solid, well-constructed London Dry that earns its place on any back bar. It doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, and that's perfectly fine — sometimes the wheel just needs to turn smoothly.
Best served long with a quality Indian tonic, a generous amount of ice, and a sprig of fresh rosemary — ideally on a late summer evening when the light lingers and there's nowhere else you need to be.
