Quick answer: Roku ($28–35) and Hendrick’s ($30–35) sit at almost the same price, so the real choice is about flavor direction, not budget. Roku leans toward sakura, yuzu, and green tea — floral and citrusy with a peppery finish from sansho. Hendrick’s leans toward cucumber and rose — cooler, more savory-floral, and unmistakably Scottish in style. Neither is “more of a gin” than the other; they’re two different answers to the same modern trend of building a gin around two or three signature botanicals instead of a heavy juniper backbone.
Two Countries, Two Signature Botanicals
Roku, made by Suntory Spirits in Osaka since 2017, combines six Japanese botanicals (sakura flower, sakura leaf, yuzu peel, sencha tea, gyokuro tea, and sansho pepper) with eight traditional gin botanicals. Suntory distills them separately, blends them, and bottles the gin at 43% ABV. As we cover in our Roku vs Ki No Bi comparison, it’s designed to be recognizable and approachable rather than experimental.
Hendrick’s, distilled by William Grant & Sons in Girvan, Scotland since 1999, built its identity around infusing cucumber and Bulgarian rose alongside a base of juniper and ten other botanicals, bottled at 41.4% ABV. It was one of the first major gins to market itself around two standout flavors rather than a classic juniper-forward profile — a positioning Roku’s Japanese-botanical approach arguably borrows the same playbook for, just with a different flavor palette.
Roku vs Hendrick’s: Comparison at a Glance
| Roku | Hendrick’s | |
|---|---|---|
| Distillery | Suntory Spirits, Osaka, Japan | William Grant & Sons, Girvan, Scotland |
| Launched | 2017 | 1999 |
| ABV | 43% | 41.4% |
| Signature botanicals | Sakura, yuzu, sencha & gyokuro tea, sansho pepper | Cucumber, Bulgarian rose, plus 11 classic botanicals |
| Typical US price | $28–35 | $30–35 |
| Flavor direction | Floral, citrusy, peppery finish | Cool, cucumber-forward, savory-floral |
How They Actually Taste Different
Roku’s sakura and yuzu push it toward a brighter, more citrus-and-floral direction, with sencha and gyokuro tea adding a faint green, slightly vegetal note underneath, and sansho pepper giving a light tingling finish similar to (but milder than) Sichuan peppercorn. It reads as distinctly Japanese in a gin and tonic, especially with a citrus garnish.
Hendrick’s reads cooler and more savory. Cucumber is the dominant impression, almost watery-fresh, with rose adding a soft floral note that keeps it from tasting purely vegetal. Its classic garnish, a cucumber slice instead of citrus, reinforces that identity. Where Roku brightens a gin and tonic, Hendrick’s calms it down.
Which One Should You Buy?
- Want a gin that leans bright, citrusy, and a little peppery: get Roku.
- Want something cooler and more savory, especially for a cucumber-garnished G&T: get Hendrick’s.
- New to “flavored” modern gins and not sure which direction you prefer: buy the smaller bottle size of each if your retailer carries one, since they’re close enough in price that trying both isn’t a large commitment.
- Cooking or mixing into a punch where the gin needs to blend rather than stand out: either works, but Hendrick’s cucumber note tends to disappear less into citrus-heavy mixers.
Shop Roku Gin or Hendrick’s Gin at The Whisky Exchange.
FAQ
Is Roku or Hendrick’s more traditional gin?
Neither is a classic London Dry. Both are part of the same modern wave of gins built around two or three signature botanicals rather than a heavy juniper profile — Hendrick’s helped popularize that approach in the late 1990s, and Roku applies the same idea with Japanese ingredients two decades later. For Roku against a true London Dry, see our Roku Gin vs Sipsmith comparison.
Do Roku and Hendrick’s taste similar since they’re both “flavored” gins?
No. Roku is citrus-and-floral with a peppery edge; Hendrick’s is cucumber-and-rose, cooler and more savory. They share a marketing approach, not a flavor profile.
Which is better for a classic martini?
Hendrick’s is the more common martini choice among the two, since its botanical profile is closer to what most classic gin cocktails expect. Roku’s brighter, more citrus-forward character tends to work better in a gin and tonic or a highball-style serve.
Are there other Japanese gins besides Roku worth trying?
Yes — our Roku vs Ki No Bi comparison covers Ki No Bi, a small-batch Kyoto gin at a noticeably higher price point and more complex botanical process.
Final Thoughts
At nearly identical prices, this isn’t really a budget decision. It’s a flavor-direction decision: Roku for bright, citrusy, and Japanese-leaning; Hendrick’s for cool, cucumber-forward, and distinctly Scottish. If you already know you like cucumber in your cocktails, Hendrick’s is the safer bet. If you’d rather try something built around yuzu and green tea, Roku is worth the switch.
