Best gins for 2024, according to the experts (original) (raw)
Score: 89/100
York Gin celebrated its fifth birthday in 2023 with this bottle, which contains botanicals made popular during the 18th century gin craze.
Juniper dominates in the wonderfully smooth spirit — supported with aromatic green cardamon and warming cinnamon — and testers felt it would make an excellent dry martini.
Joint best gin
East London Liquor Company Gin
Score: 89/100
ELLC’s botanicals include lemon and grapefruit peel, coriander, angelica root and cardamom. The result is a distinctive gin that’s exciting enough to enjoy with a splash of tonic, yet smooth (and affordable!) enough to use in a range of cocktails.
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Runner-up gin
Nolet's Silver Dry Gin
Score: 88/100
Undeniably premium — with the price tag to prove it — this Dutch gin is best suited to collectors looking for something special.
Though Nolets combines a wheat base and classical botanicals (juniper, liquorice, orris root and citrus) as its base, the addition of more unusual botanicals, such as white peach, raspberry and Turkish rose, makes this a unique gin worth savouring.
Best for gifting
Aviation Gin
Score: 87/100
Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds reckons he’s tried every gin on the planet and this is the best of the lot — so he bought the company.
Light on juniper and big on fresh pine wood, lavender and aniseed, our panel was equally impressed. Smooth enough to drink neat, we’d let the botanicals speak for themselves, and the Art Deco-style bottle with retro airline influences would make this a lovely gift.
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Warner's London Dry Gin
Score: 87/100
Combining 11 botanicals — including spicy black pepper, warming cinnamon and elderflower — our panel found this London dry gin refreshing, with a good level of sweetness. Floral and fragrant, the brand recommends serving with a slice of fresh orange to bring out the zesty notes.
Martin Miller's Gin
Score: 86/100
Made in super small batches with Icelandic spring water, this gin is upfront with sweet and sour sherbet lemons and limes. Cinnamon and aniseed add depth, creating a long-lasting finish that would work well in a range of cocktails or served simply with tonic, cucumber and mint to lift the savoury botanicals.
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Best in a Tom Collins
Portobello Road No.171 Gin
Score: 85/100
This London-made gin offers an intoxicating mix of botanicals, including coriander seed, nutmeg and lemon zest. Our panel loved the deep, earthy flavour profile and thought it would work well in a Tom Collins, in order to elevate the subtle citrus. A certified sipper.
Isle of Harris Gin
Score: 85/100
This beautiful blown glass bottle deserves pride of place on your bar trolley. It’s made with nine botanicals, including coriander seed, bitter orange and sugar kelp hand harvested from Hebridean sea lochs.
On the palate, it’s lightly spiced with a suitably coastal salinity, while a touch of sweetness ensures balance and complexity.
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Best in a gin gimlet
Monkey 47 Dry Gin
Score: 84/100
Combining a whopping 47 botanicals, it’s no wonder this gin was praised as both “mysterious” and “complex” by our panel.
Opening with bags of nuanced, herbaceous notes and peppery heat, it mellows into a sweet, well-balanced finish, thanks to the addition of Black Forest cranberries (their secret weapon, so they say).
This one is unrivalled in a gin gimlet, or served neat to appreciate the aromas at play.
Best served with cucumber
Hendrick’s Gin
Score: 84/100
Famously served with fresh cucumber (slices or fancy ribbons, it’s up to you), this light London dry combines traditional botanicals with petals for an unexpected floral quality.
Overall, our testers found it mild but very drinkable, saying they’d happily enjoy this Scottish spirit neat or topped with soda and fresh mint for a lighter, refreshing serve.
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Best for a martini with a twist
Ableforth's Bathtub Gin
Score: 84/100
Each bottle is wrapped in old-fashioned brown paper, then strung and wax-dipped by hand in Kent (beautiful to look at but a bit of a pain to get into!).
The slightly higher ABV (43%), was described by one tester as "nose hair-tingling strength", but they were pleasantly surprised by how smooth and well-balanced it was. It's heavy on the earthy botanicals, with a savoury finish — making it a strong contender for a dry martini with a lemon twist.
Manchester Signature Gin
Score: 84/100
Our panel was drawn in by the “strong citrus aromas of lemon and grapefruit” offered by this Mancunian gin, but it was the “smooth mouthfeel” that sealed the deal. Spicy yet sweet, this deserves a quality tonic, plenty of ice and a twist of lime for added citrus zing.
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Tarquin's Handcrafted Cornish Dry Gin
Score: 83/100
Rich, with a creamy mouthfeel, subtle citrus and blossom, this Cornish gin is an absolute delight. The bright floral flavour is beautifully balanced with sweet spice and a herbaceous quality. A unique gin that needs nothing more than a Mediterranean tonic and plenty of ice.
Best Mediterranean gin
Gin Mare
Score: 82/100
Gin Mare’s Mediterranean-inspired botanicals impressed the panel. Salty olives, fragrant basil, rosemary and thyme are combined with classic juniper — making this smooth gin just as enjoyable served neat as it is with tonic.
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Edinburgh Gin Classic London Dry Gin
Score: 82/100
Covering the full flavour spectrum, this Scottish gin begins with a strong, sharp, citrussy introduction, developing into a more mellow, earthy flavour with lingering woody notes.
Pine buds, mulberries and cobnuts combine to remind us of the Scottish highlands. Our panel thought this would be best enjoyed neat or on the rocks, to appreciate the unique flavours.
Oxley London Dry Gin
Score: 82/100
At 47% ABV, this cold-distilled London dry certainly packs a punch. Bright yet bitter, juniper, pine and pepper dominate the palate, meaning we’d recommend this to anyone who likes their G&T as classic as they come.
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Wildjac Natural Dry Gin
Score: 81/100
Our testers described WildJac as “undeniably unique,” thanks to its combination of locally foraged Wyre Forest botanicals (we’re talking thyme, Douglas Fir and lemon balm). Chamomile adds a smoother, almost “buttery” flavour, while lemon and orange ensure a refreshingly citrus-led finish, perfect topped with tonic and fresh basil.
Best budget gin
Plymouth Original Botanical Dry Gin
Score: 81/100
Another long-loved classic, Plymouth Gin was praised by our panel for its well-balanced herbaceous flavour, lingering alcohol depth and clean, citrus finish. A real crowd-pleaser but, if you prefer your G&T on the stronger side, the 57% ABV Navy Strength is well worth a try, too.
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Best South African gin
Amarula Gin
Score: 80/100
Perhaps better known for its cream liqueur, Amarula’s newly launched gin uses the same native marula fruit, alongside orange blossom, orange peel and West African spice, grains of paradise.
It makes the perfect G&T, and a portion of profits go towards elephant conservation, supporting Sebakwe (the beautiful elephant on the bottle) and friends.
Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru Gin
Score: 80/100
A well-known name in the world of gin, Bombay Sapphire is a fail-safe choice for a juniper-led G&T. This is their newest addition to the range, and while it’s still a classic gin, the inclusion of hand-picked, vapour-distilled lemons gives it a modern twist. Crisp, fresh and refreshing, it’s a solid choice for your bar cart.
Callum is our Food and Drink Testing Manager and has been part of the world of professional catering for 10 years, from cheffing to food manufacturing. While working in manufacturing he specialised in bespoke product and menu development for several start-ups and well-known brands such as Wrap It Up! and HOP Vietnamese. He holds the WSET Level 2 in wine, a Level 3 in spirits and has a particular interest in agave spirits.