The almighty growth of the gin category in recent years has been truly remarkable. Thankfully innovation has not been at the expense of excellence – as our pick of the best value brands on the market attests.

SB highlights 10 gin brands of exceptional value

The Spirits Business held its annual Gin Masters last month, where an experienced panel of judges recognised the best bottlings in the business.

Looking across multiple categories, from cask-aged to Old Tom, genever to sloe, a wide range of gins were awarded the top accolades of Master and Gold medals for their quality.

The individual scores of each entrant have not been revealed, however these are 10 of the highest rated medalists in the competition, in no particular order.

While some expressions are not standard priced, our judges have given each gin listed here the seal of approval for offering excellent quality within their respective price categories.

Click through to the following pages to view the top 10 best value for money gins of 2017.

Sir Edmond Gin

Price: €41.95
Founded in Amsterdam in 2016, Sir Edmond Gin surprised judges with its heavy vanilla nose, but complex, juniper­-forward palate – and secured a Master medal in the Super Premium flight for its efforts. “For a gin with such a difference between nose and palate, it would be easy for it to be unbalanced – but it worked. It was a pleasant shock,” one judge noted. Another added: “They should be proud to pull off something other people can’t.”

Catz Dry Gin

Price: approx £49
A Master recipient in the London Dry category, Catz Dry Gin was described by the panel as “divine”. “There were so many lovely herbs and spices on the palate – it had the freshness of watermelon, along with juniper, and an infusion of basil and tarragon,” one judge raved. The expression is crafted at one of the oldest family-owned distilleries in the Netherlands and bottled at 48.2% abv.

Martin Miller’s 9 Moons Barrel-­Aged Gin

Price: approx £45
Topping the Cask-Aged flight with a Master medal was Martin Miller’s 9 Moons Barrel-­Aged Gin, credited for its “smooth mouthfeel and long finish”. The liquid sees Martin Miller’s flagship gin aged in first-fill American oak Bourbon barrels for nine months – or ‘nine moons’ – in Borgarnes, Iceland. Around 2,000 bottles have been drawn from each cask.

Citadelle Gin No Mistake Old Tom Gin

Price: approx £47
The Old Tom category is traditionally a sweeter style of gin that has made a comeback in recent years. – and Citadelle Gin No Mistake Old Tom Gin stole the show. Made by adding some caramelised Caribbean brown sugar to Maison Ferrand’s cask-aged Citadelle Réserve, the expression was duly named Master. “The barrel­-aged elements work really well with the Old Tom style,” one judge remarked. “It’s also really delicate.”

Four Pillars Spiced Negroni Gin

Price: AU$85
The result of a conversation between the head distiller at Four Pillars and a prolific bar manager in Sydney, Four Pillars Spiced Negroni Gin was created specifically for use in a Negroni cocktail – to ”cut through” the Campari and vermouth. The gin secured a Master in the Contemporary flight, commended for its “soft, elegant and clean texture”.

Siegfried Rheinland Dry Gin

Price: approx £34
Described as a “handcrafted, micro-batch” gin, Siegfried Rheinland Dry Gin contains 18 botanicals, with lead notes of lavender, ginger, angelica root and linden blooms. The gin – a product from the Rhine Region, Germany – secured a Master medal in the Super Premium flight. “This was great, I didn’t want to spit it out,” one judge remarked – high praise indeed considering the sheer volume of spirits our expert panel tasted.

Makar Cask-­Aged Gin – Matured In Oak

Price: £35
Crafted by Glasgow Distillery Company, Makar Cask-­Aged Gin – Matured In Oak received a Master medal in the Cask-Aged flight, celebrated for its “crisp cucumber” flavour. The juniper-led liquid has been aged for 10 weeks in new European Oak and has an abv of 43%.

Hernö Navy Strength Gin

Price: approx £43
Bottled at 57% abv, Hernö Navy Strength Gin was awarded a Master medal in the Navy Strength category for its “very refined style”. Hailing from Swedish distillery Hernö, the expression is made from the same distilled gin as Hernö Gin – the only difference being the amount of water diluting the distillate. On the palate, the expression is said to offer crisp juniper followed by spicy citrus and floral notes.

Tanqueray Rangpur

Price: approx £24
Pipped as an example of “lemon flavours done right” and ”not remotely synthetic”, Diageo’s Tanqueray Rangpur secured a Master medal in the Super Premium flight. Distilled with Rangpur limes – also known as a mandarin orange – the edition was first released in 2006.

Cherry Gin – Batch 1

Price: £29.95
Price: approx £30
Crafted from both sweet and sour Marasca cherries, That Boutique­y Gin Company’s Cherry Gin – Batch 1 was  praised for its “silky and juicy” texture, as well as its “subtle tartness”. Formed in February, the independent gin bottler’s line of creations began with Cherry Gin –  said to be the first commercially available gin of its kind. The expression was awarded a Master in the Flavoured Gin category.