Gins – the 20 best gins

Words by: Simon Difford

It seems that not a day does go by without yet another new gin being launched. Some are rubbish, most are OK or even good, and a rare few truly standout – those gins we rate 5+. We looked through the best of over 450 distilled gins on Difford’s Guide to select our 20 favourites, which together present a very interesting gin selection…

1. Adnams First Rate Gin
Distilled in Suffolk, England with 13 botanicals.

2. Beefeater 24 London Dry Gin
Distilled in London, England with 12 botanicals.

3. BelGin Gin
Distilled in Deinze, Belgium with 8 botanicals.

4. Bombay Original London Dry Gin (43%)
Distilled in Laverstoke, Hampshire, England with 8 botanicals.

5. Caorunn
Distilled in Cromdale, Scotland with 11 botanicals.

6. Christopher Wren Gin
Distilled in London, England with 5 botanicals.

7. Citadelle Reserve
Distilled in Cognac, France with 19 botanicals.

8. Cotswolds Dry Gin
Distilled in Stourton, England with 9 botanicals.

9. Death's Door Gin
Distilled in Madison, Wisconsin, USA with 3 botanicals.

10. Kent Dry Gin
Distilled in Marden, Kent with 15 botanicals.

11. nginious! Cocchi Vermouth Cask Finish Gin
Distilled in Rümlang, Swizerland and aged in ex. Cocchi vermouth casks.

12. No. 209 Gin
Distilled in San Francisco, USA with 8 to 11 botanicals.

13. Pierde Almas +9 Mezcal Gin
Distilled in Oaxaca, Mexico with 9 botanicals.

14. Plymouth Navy Strength Gin
Distilled in Plymouth, England with 7 botanicals.

15. Rutte Celery Dry Gin
Distilled in Dordrecht, Netherlands with botanicals including celery - but not the kind of celery you put in your salad.

16. Sacred Juniper Organic Botanical Distillate
Distilled in London, England with just one botanical - juniper berries.

17. Sipsmith Raffles 1915 Gin
Distilled in London, England.

18. Tanqueray Export Strength London Dry Gin
Distilled in Fife, Scotland with 3 dominant botanicals.

19. The Botanist Gin
Distilled on Islay, Scotland with 31 botanicals.

20. the oriGIN Gin
Distilled in Aalst, Belgium with 23 botanicals.