While some purists might turn their nose up at the idea of a flavoured gin, the genre has come on leaps and bounds in recent years – using additional flavours to complement the true juniper character of the spirit at hand, rather than overwhelm it.
The best examples are often fruity twists on the spirit, where the sweetness of additional flavourings is balanced with botanicals integral to the spirit. These spirits are ideal for pairing with tonic water for a true thirst-quencher, and their often-vibrant colour in the glass doesn’t do any harm, either. While the best flavoured gin from the IWSC reflects this trend and champions some better known styles of flavoured gin – such as Sloe Gin and Pink Gin – the award-winners listed below also reflect some innovations in the category.
Take Settlers Spirit’s Yuzu Gin, a citrus bomb ‘with a touch of juniper’ that was awarded 98/100 points by judges; or Atlas Spirit’s Chai Gin, which was prasied for its notes of coriander, cardamon, star anise, sweet ginger and clove. And both Naught Distilling’s Sangiovese Gin and Seppeltsfield Road Distillery’s Barossa Shiraz 2021 Gin showcase how distilleries based in parts of the world know for their winemaking are incorporating famous flavours from the vineyard into their spirits – infusing premium grapes into unique ‘wine gins’. Read on to discover the best flavoured gins to drink right now, all award-winners at the IWSC 2022.
HOW DO WE JUDGE THESE SPIRITS?
We run a tightly structured, rigorous spirits tasting process. That means that each spirit sample is pre-poured into numbered glasses and assessed blindly by the judges. Most importantly, our IWSC spirit judges are experts in their field, who work across all sectors of the drinks industry. For evidence, see our full list of judges.
HOW DO WE SCORE THESE SPIRITS?
Only the best spirits sampled receive a Gold or Silver award. For example, to win Gold, spirits have to score between 95 and 100 points. Meanwhile, Silver wines range from 90 to 94 points. Click here to read more on our scoring system.
MORE FROM CLUB OENOLOGIQUE
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12 top flavoured gins from the IWSC 2022
Junimperium Distillery, Sloe Gin
Seppeltsfield Road Distillers, Barossa Shiraz 2021 Gin
Edwards Distillers, Four Feathers Raspberry & Lime Gin
Naught Distilling, Sangiovese Gin
Settlers Spirits, Yuzu Gin
The Lakes Distillery Company, Pink Grapefruit Gin
Atlas Spirits, Chai Gin
Loch Lomond Group, Ben Lomond Infused Scottish Gin Blood Orange & Pink Grapefruit
The Tailor Made Spirits Company, The West Winds Wild Plum Gin
Wessex Distillery, English Sloe Gin
Chivas Brothers, Beefeater Pink Strawberry Gin
