The Gin Masters 2023

Dec 21, 2023

The popularity of gin shows no sign of letting up, and the sheer number of brands from all over the world releasing interesting expressions means we have again split our annual blind tasting into two sessions.

After the effects of the global Covid‐19 pandemic and Brexit, the gin category is now in rude health as drinkers indulge in new flavours, and experiment with cocktails. Globally, last year gin volume grew by 8%, and it is predicted to increase by 3% over the next five years, data from IWSR Drinks Market Analysis showed. However, the category is now in a ‘long‐term decline’ in the UK (down by 12% last year), and is predicted to drop by 6% in the market from 2022 to 2027, the IWSR said.

Exports of UK gin also bounced back by more than a third last year to surpass pre‐pandemic levels, as figures from The Gin Guild revealed this year. The Gin Guild noted the category’s popularity in Spain, Italy, and Germany, while the US remains the largest export market for the juniper‐based spirit. There was significant growth for UK gin in Asian markets, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The Gin Guild also said markets in South America showed huge growth, led by Brazil, Argentina, and Chile.

Quality and variety

Pal Gleed, director general of The Gin Guild, said the growth “reflects the quality, variety and reputation of British gin. These latest figures show the potential for gin sales to continue to grow around the world as the spirit gains market share from other drinks that have traditionally dominated in some countries.”

Gleed also spoke about the tests gin faces: “Despite the ongoing challenges of spiralling energy costs, price inflation, rising interest rates, and the war in Ukraine, which all affect trading conditions, gin distillers have shown their resilience and their ability to innovate over the past three years.” In spite of the declining demand for gin in the UK, there are opportunities for the category to grow overseas, but producers in competitive markets will have to ramp up their innovation efforts to keep consumers interested in the category.

“As interest increases in other drinks, retailers will be reluctant to give as much shelf space to gin. New flavours come in and out of fashion quickly and regular innovation will be needed to maintain consumer interest,” the IWSR said about the UK gin market. With a vast number of gins on offer to drinkers, our latest competition sought to pick out the best of the bunch and reward medals to the most impressive bottlings.

Held every year, The Gin Masters is one of the biggest blind tastings in The Global Spirits Masters Competitions (GSMC), where judges are tasked with tasting hundreds of juniper spirits across different price tiers and subcategories.

From organic to microdistillery and ultra‐premium to contemporary, the competition showcases the diversity of the gin category and the high‐quality standards set by producers.

This year’s contest was held at private members club Home House in London, and will be the first of two gin tastings, with the second to be held in November.

Ten panels came together for the tasting in May 2023, made up of journalists, buyers, bartenders and spirits experts. The first panel comprised Melita Kiely, editor of The Spirits Business and chair of The GSMC, Will Keogh, founder and CEO of Woolf Drinks, and Clinton Cawood, freelance spirits writer.

The second panel, chaired by Nicola Carruthers, deputy editor of The Spirits Business, included Herchelle Perez Terrado, director of Drinks Partnership; Laurence Baker, general manager, The Nest at Treehouse hotel; and Nick Larsson‐Bell, senior buyer, Harvey Nichols. Sarah Miller, founder of the Gin A Ding Ding blog, chaired another group, which included: Ian Wisniewski, freelance writer, and Emma Stokes, ‘chief monkey’ at Gin Monkey.

Another panel was chaired by Bryan Rodriguez‐Curtis, wine and spirits buyer at Harvey Nichols, who was joined by: Ruchira Neotia, partner at Collectivino; Alan Uresti, head of mixology at Annabel’s; and Dan Greifer, bar manager at The Proofing Room at Milroy’s of Spitalfields.

David T Smith, spirits consultant, writer and co‐founder of the Craft Distilling Expo, chaired another group. Forming his panel were: Anne Jones, drinks expert at Waitrose; and Keegan Menezes, drinks consultant.

Other judges on the day included Whisky Squad co‐host Elise Craft, who chaired a panel that included: Stephen Kennard, consultant at SMJK Consulting; and Allison Strydom, founder of GinSquares.

Antony Moss MW led a panel that included: Angelo Sparvoli, head bartender, St James Bar; and Graham McAteer, spirit partnerships lead at Craft Gin Club.

Another panel was formed of: chair Karen Taylor, co‐founder of the Whisky For Everyone blog; Ben Thapa of Ginscentive/Highginx; and Claire Filer of The Filer Files. A further group was formed of: Marie Cheong‐Thong of The Larder at 36; Masha Twemlow, associate at International Drinks Specialists; and Tobias Gorn, co‐ founder and senior partner of International Drinks Specialists, who chaired the panel.

Dimple Athavia, founder of All Things Drinks, chaired a group that included: Joyce Chou, translation project manager at the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET); and Sara Jane Eichler, founder of the Negroni Club UK.

The competition kicked off with the Standard flight of gins, with two Golds being dished out, to Saaremaa Dry Gin, for being “juniper‐forward with a slight hint of liquorice”, and Sinestesia London Dry Gin, lauded for having a “soft and floral nose “ with an “extra level of complexity”. Two Silvers completed the round.

The Premium flight, comprised of gins priced between £16 and £20, resulted in one Gold and three Silver medals. Gold medallist Tolmanns Premium Dry Gin was described by Wisniewski as having a “fresh, rich aroma with hints of juniper and aniseed, extending into lemon meringue”. Miller said of the segment: “A nice range in the category, proving you can get a solid gin at an affordable price point.”

Moving up the price bracket to Super Premium bottlings, the judges discovered three Master medallists. The first, Hernö Pink Btl Gin, was praised by Craft for being “a deftly crafted classic gin – fresh and bright, juniper on the palate with nicely balanced ripe citrus”.

The second Master went to Bathtub Gin Damson & Bay, which impressed Smith with its “plump fruity nose, jammy damson on the palate. Quite sweet and bay leaf comes through too; balanced sweetness and some dry botanicals and spice come through on the finish.” The final Master, Mermaid Gin, was described as a “soft and herbal gin” with “lovely citrus notes” and would make a “great Martini”. The flight included 22 Golds and 11 Silvers.

Among the Gold winners were 135°East Hyogo Dry Gin, with its “lightly fragranced orange blossoms and lemon sherbet”, the “herbal and grassy” Martin Miller’s Westbourne Gin, Naud Distilled Gin, lauded for being “fresh and zingy”, Jaffa Cake Gin for its “chocolate orange nose”, the “exquisitely balanced” The Botanist Islay Dry Gin, with its “fresh pine aroma”, and Skagerrak Nordic Dry Gin, “spicy with coriander and juniper”.

Jones praised the number of styles on offer: “A broad and diverse category, given the breadth of price points. Great to see innovation in flavours being well‐handled, as well as some more traditional classic styles.”

However, Rodriguez‐Curtis noted that some of the products lacked the key juniper ingredient. “The category lacked real definition, many of the gins lacked the real juniper aroma needed to really tell the story of gin,” he said. “Producers need to remember juniper is king.”

The Master standard continued in the next category, where judges assessed ultra‐ premium variants priced £36 and above. Six Master medals were awarded, including three to Sweden’s Hernö Gin Distillery for its Hernö Gin, Hernö Juniper Cask Gin, and Hernö Navy Strength Gin.

Twemlow said of Hernö Gin: “Inviting aromas of juniper, woody herbs, and lifted citrus. Slightly sweet, rounded and classic palate. The alcohol is very well‐integrated.” Meanwhile, Gorn lauded Hernö Juniper Cask Gin for its “gorgeous and creamy texture with a lot of freshness and expressive botanicals all in balance”.

Hernö’s navy strength expression impressed Gorn for being a “lovely and crisp dry gin with extremely well‐integrated alcohol”, while Cheong‐Thong said it had a “big balanced complexed long finish with a hit of habanero – great for cocktails”.

Of Master medallist Banks and Bloom Signature Gin, Twemlow said: “Gentle pine and green herbs and lemon zest. Creamy palate with plenty of earthy spicy notes supported by clean juniper.”

Scottish brand Lind & Lime Gin was praised by Gorn, who noted: “Green kaffir lime leaves and citrus oil on the nose intertwined with some pine and juniper. The palate is focused, and it replicates the nose with a touch of richness giving it extra depth. Very cleverly composed.”

The final Master medallist in the round, King’s Hill – Original, was enjoyed for its “fresh nose with coriander, citrus. Smooth palate despite the ABV, pleasant and clean, fresh finish.”

Nineteen Golds followed, including Martin Miller’s 9 Moons Gin, lauded for its “zesty and fresh on the palate with a silky, light wood influence”, Silent Pool Gin, with its “rich earthy quality and a slightly sharp texture”, Downpour Scottish Dry Gin, enjoyed for its “rich florals, stone fruit and a long, sweet spicy finish”, Ki No Bi Kyoto Dry Gin, for its “lemon peel and piney juniper on the nose with nutty coriander”, and the “smooth and mellow” Labyrinth Gin. The flight ended with eight Silver medallists.

London Dry was the next flight put to the taste test, where six Master medals were discovered. Among them were Xin Gin, Hernö Gin, Mallard Point London Dry Gin, Home House Gin, Heaven & Hell London Dry Gin Kocbek, and 58 and Co London Dry. Cawood praised Xin Gin for its “candied aniseed, coriander seed, backed by lemon oil. Lovely bright nose. Oily unctuous palate, more spice and lemon, a bit like lemon tart, and a long, citrus finish.”

Taking home one of the top accolade was the “vibrant” Hernö Gin Palate, described by Kiely as having “bright citrus, juniper prevails, some cardamom, coriander and herbaceous notes towards the finish. Well balanced.”

Eichler enjoyed Master winner Mallard Point London Dry Gin, noting its “lovely sweet citrus and a hint of warming cardamom on the nose, which carries through to the palate, lovely bright citrus and resinous juniper, and an aromatic spice on the finish”.

Home House Gin was lauded by Chou for its “woody, citrus peel, spicy note on the nose, light on the palate, crispy texture, a sweet taste on the finish and good length.” Eichler was also enamoured by Heaven & Hell London Dry Gin Kocbek. It offered “lovely herbaceous floral notes on the nose, aromatic spice and citrus on the palate with a punch of spice on the finish, lovely mouthfeel and smooth for the ABV”, she said.

Final Master winner 58 and Co London Dry was lauded for its “nice floral note, herby, lemon, light spiciness, and very good complexity but easy to drink,” said Chou. Twenty‐five Golds and 21 Silvers completed the flight.

Miller called the London Dry round a “strong flight with nice variety, and solid gins at a range of ABVs”. Meanwhile, Stokes noted the “decent juniper presence throughout the London Dry category”. Wisniewksi said it was “interesting to see different levels of juniper and juniper playing a different role in gins – not always the upfront leader of the pack”.

Among the Gold medallists were the “elegant and earthy” Whitley Neill Distiller’s Cut, the “salty and savoury” Edinburgh Gin Seaside, the “minty and herbal” AmberChes Botanical Gin, the “complex and interesting” København Klassisk Gin”, and Jawbox Export Strength Gin, described as “very smooth for a 47%‐ABV gin”.

The panels then moved onto the Contemporary flight, where eight more Master medals were found.

The first was given to Beefeater 24, which impressed Rodriguez‐Curtis, who said: “A delicate and soft nose on the start, light juniper, citrus, the nose is quite light but it shows a good juniper character. A good gin on the palate, fantastic smoothness on the palate, good well‐balanced alcohol. Delicate and enjoyable.”

Of Master medallist Hernö Juniper Cask Gin, Twemlow said: “Big and bold, with a great range of aromas and flavours, from cooling juniper and bright zesty citrus to lovely warm and earthy notes.”

Muff Gin was worthy of the top accolade, described as “like sipping on a Negroni” with a “good balance of flavours – orange, bitter and spice with cherry notes”.

AmberChes Christmas Gin also took home a Master medal, enjoyed for its notes of “winter spice, candy, cinnamon, cherry cubes. Some cloves. Soft, integrated warming alcohol. A little spice, with clove on the finish which is a little drying but very well made”, Kennard said.

Tempus Two Shiraz Gin was praised by Eichler for being: “Wonderfully jammy on the nose, stone fruit, cherry and grape, juicy and bright with delicious plumminess and resinous juniper, heady and moorish with a glorious drying finish”.

Jones particularly liked Master medallist, Hapusa Himalayan Dry Gin: “Curry leaf and spice, intriguing, smooth and yet with plenty of classic gin character, well‐integrated alcohol. Bright and fresh.” Kiely enjoyed the two Masters from Australia’s Four Pillars.

Of Four Pillars Olive Leaf she said: “Velvet‐like texture, with olive‐ oil‐like notes. This would be brilliant in a Dirty Martini. Brilliant Gin. Juniper lingers on the finish.” And of the Four Pillars Spiced Negroni, she said: “The palate brings warming spice, some pepper. A touch of orange, coriander, very complex flavour profile. Once again, offering a good point of difference in the gin category, while still remaining ‘gin’.” Twenty‐eight Golds were also given out, alongside 23 Silver medals.

The Gold medallists included Renais, with its “citrusy nose and flavours of juniper and angelica”, Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin with its “sweet lemon peel and creamy vanilla note”, the “bright and citrusy” Lady Trieu Mekong Delta Dry Gin, Etsu Pacific Ocean Water praised for its “unusual salt and sweet combination”, Sir Edmond Gin, enjoyed for its notes of “sweet vanilla and fresh lemon sponge cake”, and Affinty Gin, lauded for being “fruity and spicy with a fresh bell pepper brightness”.

After the flight, Jones said: “As ever, this category runs the whole gamut from modest citrus‐led simplicity to overt characterful coloured sweetness – with everything in between. Quality in general is reliable in terms of the base spirit, but we are still seeing lots of entries without adequate ‘gin’ character, or overburdened by sugar without the flavour concentration or complexity to balance it.”

The Old Tom flight saw two Gold medals go to Lydén Distillery’s Old Tom Gin, with its “savoury and herbal nose”, and Hernö Old Tom Gin, enjoyed for its “gentle spices throughout, cardamom and ginger elevating it past just a standard Old Tom gin”. Rodriguez‐Curtis said of the flight: “Old Tom is not enjoyed enough; it is a good category for drinkers to play with and experiment. These gins showed good character and showed the potential for Old Tom.”

Up next was the Cask‐Aged category and the Master standard continued, with five medals awarded. Peddlers Barrel Aged Gin took home a Master for its “good balance of flavours, spice and slight menthol finish, and very good balance for its high ABV”. Fellow Master medallist Four Pillars Whiskey Barrel Gin #1 was enjoyed for its hints of “rich Sherry, coffee cake and walnuts” and “soft vanilla notes”.

The London Nº1 Sherry Cask scored highly with the judges for bring “light, fresh and fruity with a good balance of complexity”. Tolmanns Barrel Aged Gin also took home a Master, described as: “Beautifully integrated – soft spice cake, creamy toffee, fruits and raw sugars without becoming sweet.”

Master medallist Greater Than Broken Bat Gin offered “bright maritime salinity, beachside barbeque, very unique – exactly what makes cask aging in gin really exciting”, said Craft. Two Golds and a Silver were also given out.

The Gold medallists were the “light and pleasantly warming” Seventy One Gin,”, and Hernö Juniper Cask Gin, enjoyed for its “slightly toasted clove and allspice.

Three Golds were awarded in the following flight – Organic. L’Acrobate offered a “complex nose with sea salt, very fresh and delicate”, while Truce of Gin presented “lots of fresh pine, earthiness, liquorice notes”. The final Gold winner, Hernö Old Tom Gin, was praised for its “coriander on the nose” and good juniper presence”.

Craft particularly enjoyed the flight: “Absolutely delicious, exceptional gins in this category. Worth noting that bottling at cask strength is not automatically a good thing, and requires restraint. Judging them all without knowing the casks was a great way to approach this category – we would encourage people to focus less on the wood and more on the impact and enjoyment this category offers.”

The Microdistillery flight saw one product come out on top. Master‐winning Hernö Navy Strength Gin was noted as “very smooth at 57% ABV with a good structure” and a “slightly herbal nose”. Five worthy Gold medallists followed, including Xibal Gin, said to be “sweet and earthy” on the palate, and the “very aromatic” Copperpenny Distilling Gin 005 with “chocolatey, malt notes”.

Swedish distiller Hernö also scored three more Golds for its Hernö Gin, Hernö Old Tom Gin and Hernö Pink Btl Gin. Four Silvers concluded the flight.

Peraz Terrado said of the flight: “I really enjoyed that, there was a good standard. A lot more diverse use of botanicals within the flight, some interesting ones that stood out. All were fairly approachable.”

Navy strength bottlings were put to the test next with two Masters going to Mainline Spirit Co’s Navvy and Hernö Navy Strength Gin. Sparvoli said of the former: “Clean and elegant nose with rose and sweet notes. Oily and creamy palate with notes of cacao. Chocolaty finish, very nice.”

Hernö Navy Strength Gin took its second Master medal of the day, impressing judges with its “lovely balance of citrus and herbal, sugary hit up front and bittersweet finish”.

Five Golds were also found: Plymouth Navy Strength Gin with its “notes of coriander and strong juniper on the nose”; Ki No Bi Sei Kyoto Dry Gin with its “clean and elegant nose”; Wentworth East with its “citrus spicy nose and nice texture”; The Green Vault – Strength Dry Gin with its “vegetal nose, heavy and warming on the palate”; and Four Pillars Navy Strength Gin, with “sweet orange, lemon peel and peppery spices”. Five Silvers concluded the tasting.

‘Lovely and floral’

Sailing to the top of the Pink Gin flight was Master‐winning Mirabeau Dry Gin. Eichler said: “Delicate perfumed nose, lovely and floral with some peppery juniper and a lovely fruity spiced finish, just glorious.”

Five Golds followed, including “sweet and peppery” Pinkster, Listoke Cacao & Rapsberry Gin with “milk chocolate and strawberry cream on the nose”, Xibal Equinox Gin with “delicate floral notes”, “bold and fruity” Pure Origin Tasmania Pink Gin, and Collesi Gin Pink, enjoyed for its “inviting nose and smooth and creamy palate”. Four Silvers were also given out.

One of the biggest subcategories in the competition is flavoured gin, where judges found a complexity of flavours. Twenty‐one Gold medallists and 33 Silvers were awarded in this round.

Among the Gold winners was the “zesty and balanced” Malfy Orange, which had a “good blood orange nose”. Another Gold went to Haysmith’s Bramble Gin, with “sweet blackberries and black pepper on the nose, while House of Medusa took Gold for being “juicy and succulent”.

Gold medallist Saarema Ore Gin impressed with its “bitter orange notes and a tingle of Asian spices”. The penultimate flight of the day, Sloe Gin, saw a Master go to Plymouth Sloe Gin. Eichler said of the expression: “Cherry and almond notes on the nose, tart, juicy and plummy on the palate with a welcome sour greeness on the finish.”

Two Golds were also dished out to Downpour Sloe & Bramble Gin, enjoyed for its “ginger, savoury notes”, and Hernö Sloe Gin, praised for its hints of “marzipan and cherries”.

Miller said it was a “pretty solid flight – nice to see less sugar use as a whole and a progression within category”. Uresti said: “Producers need to find the right way to extract flavours and blend with the right distillate to find harmony.”

‘Balance is key’

Jones offered some insight into the category: “Flavoured gins is always a fascinating category thanks to the huge diversity of styles – some really sophisticated combinations were great this year, and we hope to see them come to market – and stay there. Less successful examples were those in which the flavour wasn’t recognisable or was too overbearing – balance is key here.”

Smith added: “It’s surprising how many gins don’t taste like the flavours they propose; however gins that really do work and are highly awarded balance their designated flavour with gin character well.”

Rodriguez‐Curtis noted the absence of juniper within the segment: “Flavoured gin is tricky, trying to create a gin that shows juniper but also shows the flavour needed is a tricky situation. Here, this flight shows a real lack of juniper and ‘ginniness’, a lot of these flavours feel synthetic and fake and some lacked sweetness which could of helped balance out some of the rougher edges. Some samples showed promise, others really need to be remade from scratch.”

The competition concluded with the Gin Liqueurs flight, with two Masters awarded to Ian Macleod Distillers’ Edinburgh Gin brand. Rodriguez‐Curtis particularly enjoyed Edinburgh Gin Elderflower Liqueur: “Good light elderflower nose, light freshness on the nose. The palate has a wonderful sweetness but also very fresh and vibrant citrus note that balances the alcohol perfectly. The elderflower is fresh and lovely and I can see this being enjoyed with Prosecco.”

Edinburgh Gin Rhubarb and Ginger Liqueur also took a Master, and was praised by Neotia, who said: “The ginger pairs exceptionally with the juniper and brings out a very balanced spice character to the sweetness.”

Rodriguez‐Curtis added: “Very good rhubarb and ginger; it gives you exactly what you want. Brilliant definition of flavour. Strong palate, smooth, perfectly balanced alcohol and perfect flavour of ginger and rhubarb with some juniper in the back. The palate is fresh, vibrant and perfectly balanced. The sweetness is not cloying, very well done.”

Two Golds were also awarded to Tanglin Triple Tangerine, lauded for its “tangerine‐ heavy nose and pine freshness” and Edinburgh Gin Raspberry Liqueur, with its “light and delicate red berry nose and palate”. Uresti said of the round: “There were very good examples of extracting flavour and achieving good flavours and not resulting to synthetic flavours.”

Rodriguez Curtis was also positive about the segment: “A strong category showing how well made gin liqueurs can be. Good vibrant acidity and comforting flavours.” Griefer called the liqueurs round his favourite – “they all delivered on the flavours they promised”.

Summing up the gin competition, judges were pleased with the quality and diversity found among entrants.

Peraz Terrado also noted the varying levels of alcohol strength among this year’s entrants. “I was surprised by the levels of ABV. If you compare to previous years, everyone was either 43% or 40%. The breadth of ABV choice is really nice, some delightful ones at the higher ABV were not overpowering and were well balanced with good structure.”

While a Taste Master is normally selected at the end of our competitions, to ensure that all gin entrants get a fair chance at the title, the Master medallists from this tasting will be sipped alongside its counterparts in the second part of The Gin Masters later this year, when the ultimate contender will be decided.