There’s no doubt that gin is the spirit success story of the past decade. A drink that suffered from a tired, old-fashioned image has been rejuvenated and reimagined, and is now the star performer in bars all over the world.
The drink originated in the Netherlands (where it was known as jenever), and soon attracted the attention of the UK, where it quickly caught on, and gave rise to a host of household names, such as Beefeater, Tanqueray and Gordon’s.
But top-quality gin is now made all over the world, with an ever-expanding list of exotic botanicals used to create new, exciting flavours. Juniper is still the dominant note in almost all examples of the drink, but it’s combined with all manner of ingredients to take the spirit in a particular direction, whether that’s citrus, spice or something else entirely.
This year’s IWSC saw a wide range of styles win Gold medals. Among the highest scorers was Botanic Australis Navy Strength from Mt. Uncle Distillery, made in Australia’s Queensland. Earning a staggering 99/100pts, it drew praise for an abundance of citrus notes, plus eucalyptus suggestive of the country it hails from.
Another Gold winner was Herno Gin’s Navy Strength bottling, noted for its complex, earthy characteristics, and what judges claimed was ‘a superbly integrated finish that is sweet, long and drinkable.’ It wasn’t the only Swedish gin to impress, with entries from Skrea Backe and Revsunds Distillery also dazzling the panel.
All the worldwide gins from this year’s IWSC were judged blind by an expert panel featuring some of the best palates in the business, such as spirits writer Matt Chambers, Gin Foundry editor Olivier Ward and Sacred Spirits distiller Siobhan Feeley.
If you thought you’d seen all there is to the drink, this list of first-rate spirits should offer some new territory to explore. We’re proud to present the best gins from around the world, as judged at the 2022 International Wine & Spirit Competition.
12 award-winning gins from around the world at the IWSC 2022
- Mt. Uncle Distillery, Botanic Australis Navy Strength Gin. Australia. 99/100
- Hernö, Navy Strength Gin. Sweden. 98/100
- Revsunds Distillery, Mylta Cask Edition 2021 Gin. Sweden. 98/100
- Skrea Backe, Ocean Strength Gin. Sweden. 98/100
- Triple Eight Distillery, Gale Force Gin. USA. 98/100
- Matsui Shuzo, The Hakuto Premium Matsui Gin. Japan. 98/100
- Garage 22 Prague Distillery, Gin 22 Dry Gin. Czech Republic. 96/100
- Montbel Vins et Spiritueux, Bold Gin. Canada 96/100
- Distillers Republic, Dry As A Nun Gin. Latvia. 96/100
- Convides, Jinpero Superior Dry Gin. Switzerland. 95/100
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.
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10 of the best gins from around the world from the IWSC 2022
