Close Menu
Feature

The Gin Masters 2020 results

This year’s Gin Masters blind-tasting competition, which featured almost 200 expressions, showed producers are continuing to fly the flag for the sector, with standout bottlings found in all subcategories.

From a new cactus and lime‐flavoured bottling to what is thought to be the world’s first gin made with Grenache grapes, 2020 has seen a swathe of innovation in the gin category. For every whisper of a ‘gin fallout’, it seems there is a fresh take on the juniper‐led spirit to ensure consumer intrigue remains strong.

In the UK alone, consumers bought 83 million bottles of gin last year, according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, an increase of 14% on the previous year. By value, gin sales topped £2.6 billion (around US$3.3bn) in 2019, a rise of 24% over 2018. Although the category’s growth rate last year was slower than 2018 (when volume sales rose by 42% and value jumped by 50%), it is evident consumer demand is still strong.

Unsurprisingly, The Gin Masters has grown into the biggest Global Spirits Masters blind‐tasting competition. Brands entered almost 200 expressions into this year’s competition – and the medal haul shows exactly why consumers remain so enamoured of gin.

Because of the Covid‐19 pandemic, this year’s competition had to take place under slightly different – but just as stringent – conditions. The Gin Masters 2020 was assessed by David T Smith, spirits writer and founder of the Craft Distilling Expo, along with me, Melita Kiely, editor of The Spirits Business and chair of the event, over a three‐day Skype tasting. Thanks to Wine Sorted, this year’s entries were delivered to our UK homes in unbranded bottles, ensuring total anonymity across the board.

SETTING THE TONE

The competition began with a flight of Standard gins. Setting the high‐quality tone of the competition was Lidl GB’s Hampstead London Dry, which secured a Master medal for its “bright citrus notes” and “good potential for a gin and tonic” – all for under £15 (US$18.68). A Gold and three Silver medals were also awarded in the first round.

Moving up a price bracket to the premium sector, the Gold medals came thick and fast, with 10 awarded. Among the Gold recipients were: Martin Miller’s Original Gin with its “classic juniper and some fruitiness too”, along with a “touch of cucumber”; Opera Gin, praised for “great texture” and “subtle dark chocolate” notes; and Barra Atlantic Gin, which was “refreshing and crisp”. The flight also produced three Silver medallists.

“As you move from standard to premium you start to see a greater range of flavours,” noted Smith. “You start to get more complex characteristics coming through.”

The Super Premium contingent produced a host of quality bottlings, with four Master accolades. The first Master went to Bathtub Gin with “cardamom” on the nose and “citrus, spice” on the palate. A second Master was given to Dublin City Gin – The Dublin Cut for its flavours of “sweet liquorice, some lime and lemon”, while the third went to Vidda Tørr Gin with its “gentle sweetness of camomile and meadowsweet”. Martin Miller’s Westbourne Gin, with its higher ABV strength took home the fourth Master in this flight, with its “great integration of alcohol” and “gentle lime marmalade sweetness”. Five Gold and eight Silver super‐premium gins were also discovered in this flight.

“With super‐premium gins, you are getting to the point where it allows for more attention to detail from distillers,” said Smith. “This seems to be the point where they can start to be more expressive and creative for the love of making a fantastic product. You can see some of the best examples of gin available at this price point; this is where you start to see excellence in gin distilling.”

Master‐worthy gins continued to present themselves in the Ultra Premium heat, with three such medals awarded to: “unusual, but well executed, delicious” Portofino Dry Gin, with notes of “juniper and Turkish delight”; “dry, beautifully balanced” Hernö Pink Btl Gin; and Hernö Old Tom Gin, with its “symphony of pine, juniper and cedar”, which “leaves you wanting more”. Eight Gold medals were also awarded, along with five Silvers.

“Ultra‐premium tends to be the price point where people are doing really creative things,” explained Smith. “The pro is that it’s different and new, so the chances of finding something unique are high. But because it’s more experimental, you might find something you don’t like. Some of the stuff we tasted today was absolutely marvellous and we had some really great, complex spirits. Others were slightly out of kilter.”

SUPERB TEXTURE

A mammoth flight of London Dry gins were tasted next, adding to the growing list of Masters. The following London Dry expressions were deemed deserving of the top award: “bold and delicious” O.P. Anderson Distillery Organic Dry Gin; “pretty much textbook” Gordon’s Traveller’s Edition; “bright and complex” Hernö Pink Btl Gin; and Wembley London Dry Gin with its “luxurious, cocoa aroma”. Commenting on Hernö Pink Btl Gin, Smith said: “The texture is just superb, very silky, almost honey‐like. It’s so easy to sip, but has a really strong juniper base to it. Very bright and complex.”

As we progressed to a flight of Microdistillery gins, we found two more expressions that met the Master standard: Hellström Dry Gin, with its “nice juniper notes and pleasant spice”; and Eenoo Gin, praised for its “lovely bright citrus nose” and “long finish and great complexity”. Three Golds and one Silver completed the medal haul.

A Master medal was also discovered in the Old Tom category: Hernö Old Tom Gin. The judges enjoyed the expression’s “superb bold juniper flavour” with a “good range of pine and resinous character”. The Old Tom round also produced three Golds and a Silver medallist.

“The quality was there, and people are taking Old Tom in different directions, so that’s why I scored things so high,” explained Smith. “Some had a grassy quality, even a bit of smoke, which made me think you could made a mezcal‐based gin, while the others were fantastic all‐rounders.”

A small flight of Organic gins were tasted next, with a Gold awarded to Hellström Dry Gin, which had a “zesty palate” with “some spice”. Bay Leaf Gin and Yorkshire Strength both walked away with Silver medals.

“It’s difficult to pick out the definitive flavour profile for ‘organic’,” noted Smith. “It’s more of an approach someone has taken, more about the values they hold. “For some people it’s a very important factor, but the underlying quality and the taste of the final products are issues in their own rights.”

One of the biggest flights of this year’s competition was the Contemporary heat. Full of experimental bottlings and unusual botanicals, the round produced four Master medallists. One was Harvest 2019 Poorman’s Orange Gin, which Smith said was “good fun”. The gin offered “strong honey” on the nose, followed by “citrus, orange blossom and pine”. Sky Wave London Dry Gin also picked up a Master, with its “bright lemon zest, juniper and sweetness to balance”, while Masons Lavender Edition Gin received a Master for its “grassy aroma” and notes of “green apples”. Masons Tea Edition Gin was also deemed Master‐worthy. Smith envisioned the gin mixing well with a Mediterranean tonic or in a Red Snapper.

An impressive 20 Gold medals were also dished out in the Contemporary flight. Among them were Four Pillars Spiced Negroni Gin, with its “oily texture, good balance and flavour”; Archie Rose Sydney Opera House Outside Gin with “some leafy myrtle notes”; Niedersachsen Gin Wild Picked Sloe with “orange notes and a cherry‐like aroma; and Mackmyra Lab Distillery Kreatör Gin with “lime zest on the nose”.

Silvers went to 14 contemporary gins, including: “fruity, dry” Mirabeau Rosé Gin; Saxon Garden Gin, which had a “hint of berry” on the nose and a slight “anise” flavour on the palate; and The Story Gin, with its notes of “cardamom and coriander”.

The Cask Aged flight that followed brought with it more Master medallists. Spirit of Hven Stella Nova secured a Master for its “lovely balance between wood and botanical”. Mackmyra Lab Cask Aged Gin also scooped a Master for its aromas of “rich cherry blossom and some plum and peach”. Hernö Juniper Cask Gin completed the trio of Masters in this round, hailed for its “lovely woody cedar notes that really add a resinous character” to the gin. The heat was boosted further by four Golds and three Silvers.

Smith and I noted how the cask‐aged contingent has improved over the years. “I am incredibly impressed,” enthused Smith. “Year on year the quality improves, innovation improves and the deliciousness improves, for want of a term. Choosing the right cask is exceptionally important, and not easy, but when done right, it really is quite sublime. We’re getting to the point now where some of the best spirits in the gin world are coming in this sector, it’s creating some of the most sippable gins. It’s an underrated elite category in gin.”

Two more Masters joined the fold in the Navy Strength subcategory, the first awarded to “grassy” Sky Wave Gin Navy Strength London Dry, which had flavours of “apples, pine, lemon zest” and was deemed to be “very sippable, even with the high ABV”. The second Master was awarded to Hernö Navy Strength Gin. The judges enjoyed its “honeyed and pine” nose, which led to a “very pleasant” palate. The Navy Strength heat also delivered three Golds and two Silvers.

“The ones that really worked have potentially made adjustments to botanicals to make a good spirit,” Smith noted. “They are as sippable a spirit at 57% as many other good spirits are at a lower ABV. It just means you get that extra power, that intensity, in more mixed drinks. Making a really good navy gin is one of the trickier things to do in gin.”

Flavoured gins have become increasingly common across the category in recent years, proof of which could be seen in the size of this year’s flavoured contingent. From citrus to berries and even a touch of Shiraz, there was a huge variety of flavours sampled. Black Fox Haskap Gin was one of the two Master medals that were awarded in this flight, thanks to its “luscious fruit notes” and a “touch of tartness” on the finish.

The second Master went to Gin Ting’s Passionfruit, Mango and Elderflower expression, which was said to have a “tropical, delicious aroma”. An impressive 12 Golds and 13 Silver medals were also uncovered among the flavoured entrants.

“Often, flavoured gin isn’t great, so to get two Masters out of that line‐up is really good going,” enthused Smith. “People who are doing flavoured gin well are taking a holistic approach and making the product accordingly. There has to be thought about the consumer’s expectation when tasting such a product, and creating a gin that has perception of that.”

David T Smith, with (inset) Melita Kiely

SLOE MOTION

A small selection of sloe gins were tasted next, producing two Gold medals and two Silvers. The first Gold was won by North Uist Distillery’s Downpour Sloe and Bramble gin, which had a “lovely tartness”. Hernö Sloe Gin was also deemed to be Gold‐standard, with “cherry drops” on the nose and its retention of gin on the palate.

Smith noted: “There is space for experimentation for sloe gin, but it’s important to remember what it is, a liqueur that’s gin‐based. There’s scope to create new and innovative products within that space.”

The final flight of this year’s competition was Gin Liqueurs, which ended with four Gold medals and one Silver. The Gold medals were pinned to: “zesty, not too sweet” Limongino; Lidl GB’s “sweet and jammy” Aquine Scottish Craft Gin Liqueur Raspberry and Blackberry; Hortus Scottish Raspberry Gin Liqueur, said to taste like “confected raspberries” and “really delicious”; and Hortus Pink Grapefruit and Elderflower Gin Liqueur with its “good grapefruit nose”.

“The mark of a very good gin liqueur balances the sweeter profile with fruit flavours as well,” said Smith. “It tastes like a liqueur based on gin, as opposed to a gin liqueur based on another spirit. It’s very hard to make a good gin liqueur because it’s not just about getting the flavour of the liqueur and the balance of sweetness right, but you have to factor in allowing some gin character to come through.”

Once the tasting had been completed, Smith and I retasted all 26 Master medallists to determine The Gin Taste Master 2020.

After much deliberation and careful sipping of each top medallist, this year’s ‘best in class’ award was bestowed upon the extremely deserving Hernö Old Tom Gin. Smith said: “It has this creamy vanilla texture, very nice and smooth. What I always look for with Old Tom is to have extra intensity. It’s obviously gin, it’s juniper, piney, peppery; the producers haven’t just stuck sugar into it. It’s like every bit of gin has been dialled up.”

Reflecting on the competition, Smith and I agreed we could see improvement across the board compared with previous years. I thought the standard of cask‐aged gins has been significantly enhanced to offer a selection of expressions where the barrel has been used to enhance the flavours of the gin, not mask them.

Smith also noted: “We’ve not had a lot of ‘this shouldn’t be in contemporary’. There’s a growing acceptance of contemporary as a category of understanding. “People who do it well have the DNA of a classic gin in the background but with some twist or flare to it, which is nice, like the ones with tea, or chocolate; they were very nicely done.

“Contemporary is a good place for some of the more regional gins to shine through. That’s exciting because it’s a place to showcase something different.”

*The Global Spirits Masters will host a second Gin Masters blind tasting in September 2020 due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Click through the following pages for The Gin Masters 2020 results in full.

Standard

Company Product Medal
Lidl GB Hampstead London Dry Gin Master
Blackwater Distillery Boyles Small Batch Botanical Gin Gold
Aldi Stores UK Harrison Gin Silver
Altia Sweden Explorer Gin Silver
La Martiniquaise‐Bardinet Gibson’s London Dry Gin Silver

Premium

Company Product Medal
Lidl GB Aquine Scottish Craft Gin Gold
Cap Gin Cap Gin Gold
Zamora Company Martin Miller’s Original Gin Gold
P Bruggeman HTK Belgian Dry Gin Gold
Arcus Skagerrak Gin Gold
Első Magyar Gin Manufaktúra Opera Gin Gold
Inis Tine Uisce Teoranta Grace O’Malley Heather Infused Irish Gin Gold
Isle of Barra Distillers Barra Atlantic Gin Gold
The M&H Whisky Distillery M&H Levantine Gin Gold
Sông Cái Distillery Vietnam Floral Gin Gold
Sir Edmond Sir Edmond Gin Silver
Maison Ferrand Citadelle Original Silver
Lidl GB Hortus Premium Pink Gin Silver

Super Premium

Company Product Medal
Atom Brands Bathtub Gin Master
Dublin City Gin Dublin City Gin – The Dublin Cut Master
Oslo Håndverksdestilleri Vidda Tørr Gin Master
Zamora Company Martin Miller’s Westbourne Gin Master
Brockmans Gin Brockmans Gin Gold
Eyland Spirits Ólafsson Gin Gold
BEG Boutique Distillery BEG Brazilian Boutique Dry Gin Gold
North Uist Distillery Downpour Scottish Dry Gin Gold
BEG Boutique Distillery BEG New World Navy Gin Gold
Distil Company Blackwoods Gin Silver
Famille Naud Distilled Gin Naud Silver
Mercury Spirits VII Hills Italian Dry Gin Silver
Highclere Castle Spirits Highclere Castle Gin Silver
Four Pillars Distillery Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin Silver
OSS Craft Distillery Bareksten Botanical Gin Silver
OSS Craft Distillery Bareksten Mørket/Darkness Silver
Barberton Canaïma Gin Silver

Ultra Premium

Company Product Medal
Pudel Srl Portofino Dry Gin Master
Hernö Gin Distillery Hernö Pink Btl Gin Master
Hernö Gin Distillery Hernö Old Tom Gin Master
Silent Pool Distillers Silent Pool Gin Gold
Hellström Gin Hellström Dry Gin Gold
Lough Ree Distillery Sling Shot Distilled Irish Gin Gold
Raven Spirits Hrafn Gin ‘Thought & Memory’ Gold
Comte de Grasse 44°N Gold
Silent Pool Distillers Silent Pool Rose Expression Gin Gold
Chugoku Jozo Sakurao Gin Hamagou Gold
Wessex Distillery The Wyvern’s Gin Gold
The Melbourne Gin Company Single Shot Silver
Salcombe Distilling Co Salcombe Gin ‘Start Point’ Silver
English Spirit Dr J’s Gin Silver
Uokka Tanzanite Gin Silver
Black Pig Alentejo Distillery Gin Black Pig Costa Alentejana Silver

London Dry

Company Product Medal
Altia Sweden O.P. Anderson Distillery Organic Dry Gin Master
Diageo Gordon’s Traveller’s Edition Master
Hernö Gin Distillery Hernö Pink Btl Gin Master
Prodal 94 Wembley London Dry Gin Master
Brewdog Distilling Co Zealot’s Heart Gold
Red Door Gin Red Door Gin Gold
Tiger Gin Tiger Gin Gold
Pearse Lyons Distillery Ha’Penny Gold
The Welsh Whisky Company Brecon Special Reserve Gin Gold
The Port of Leith Distillery Lind and Lime Gold
Niedersachsen Gin Niedersachsen – Gin Home Fields Gold
Copenhagen Distillery Bay Leaf Gin Gold
Cap Gin Cap Gin Gold
Diageo Gordon’s London Dry Gold
Junimperium Distillery Junimperium Blended Dry Gin Gold
Hutmachers Maritime
Spirituosen
Schwarzer Walfisch Gin Gold
Hernö Gin Distillery Hernö Gin Gold
Winchester Distillery Twisted Nose Gin Gold
Hellström Gin Hellström Dry Gin Gold
Aldi Stores UK Greyson’s London Dry Gin Silver
Sloemotion Distillery Finders Spirits London Dry Gin Silver
Lidl GB Hortus Artisan London Dry Gin Silver
Sash & Fritz Wild Child Gin Silver
The Welsh Whisky Company Brecon Botanical Gin Silver
English Drinks Company London Dry Gin Silver
Winchester Distillery Winchester Dry Gin Silver
Wessex Distillery Alfred the Great Gin Silver
Rude Mechanicals Vineyard Gin Silver
Chugoku Jozo Sakurao Gin Original Silver

Microdistillery

Company Product Medal
Hellström Gin Hellström Dry Gin Master
Lost Loch Spirits Eenoo Gin Master
Irish Distillers Method and Madness Irish Micro Distilled Gin Gold
Distillerie des Appalaches Kepler Premium Gold
Lough Ree Distillery Aiteal Distilled Irish Gin Gold
Wanderer Destillerie Wanderer Provence Gin Silver

Old Tom

Company Product Medal
Hernö Gin Distillery Hernö Old Tom Gin Master &
Taste Master
OSS Craft Distillery Bareksten Botanical Gin Old Tom Gold
Maison Ferrand Citadelle Old Tom No Mistake Gold
Cotswolds Distillery Cotswolds Old Tom Gin Gold
Lidl GB Hortus Old Tom Gin Silver

Organic

Company Product Medal
Hellström Gin Hellström Dry Gin Gold
Copenhagen Distillery Bay Leaf Gin Silver
Forged in Wakefield Yorkshire Strength Silver

Contemporary

Company Product Medal
Archie Rose Distilling Co Harvest 2019 Poorman’s Orange Gin Master
The Sky Wave Distilling Company Sky Wave Gin London Dry Master
Masons Yorkshire Gin Masons Lavender Edition Gin Master
Masons Yorkshire Gin Masons Tea Edition Gin Master
Archie Rose Distilling Co Sydney Opera House Outside Gin Gold
Archie Rose Distilling Co Sydney Opera House Inside Gin Gold
Archie Rose Distilling Co Signature Dry Gin Gold
Lark Distilling Co Forty Spotted Gin – Australian Citrus Gold
Lark Distilling Co Forty Spotted Gin – Classic Gold
Seppeltsfield Road Distillers Savoury Allsorts Gold
Seppeltsfield Road Distillers House Gin Gold
Electric Spirit Co Achroous Gin Gold
Niedersachsen Gin –
frei.wild.unabhängig
Niedersachsen Gin Wild Picked Sloe Gold
Niedersachsen Gin –
frei.wild.unabhängig
Niedersachsen Gin Wild Picked Cornel Gold
Strawhill Estate Spirits Co Jacquard Gin Gold
Arcus Skagerrak Gin Gold
Masons Yorkshire Gin Masons Peppered Pear Edition Gin Gold
Masons Yorkshire Gin Masons Original Gin Gold
Four Pillars Distillery Four Pillars Spiced Negroni Gin Gold
Raven Spirits Hrafn Gin ‘Winter’ Gold
Distillerie Côte des Saints Distillerie Côte des Saints Premium Gin Gold
Mallorca Distillery Palma Gin Gold
Mackmyra Whisky Mackmyra Lab Distillery Kreatör Gin Gold
Archie Rose Distilling Co Distillers Strength Gin Gold
Pembrokeshire Gin Co Tenby Dry GIn Silver
Pearse Lyons Distillery Mil Gin Silver
The Story The Story Gin Silver
Mackmyra Whisky Mackmyra Organic Lab Distillery Gin Silver
Black Pig Alentejo Distillery Gin Black Pig Montado Alentejano Silver
Mirabeau Mirabeau Rosé Gin Silver
The Muff Liquor Company Muff Gin Silver
Lignell & Piispanen Gustav Metsä Gin Silver
Sông Cái Distillery Vietnam Dry Gin Silver
Four Pillars Distillery Four Pillars Olive Branch Gin Silver
BEG Boutique Distillery BEG Modern & Tropical Gin Silver
Wessex Distillery Saxon Garden Gin Silver
Lough Ree Distillery
for The Armada Hotel
Mist + Moss Distilled Irish Gin Silver
The West Winds Gin Cutlass Silver

Cask Aged

Company Product Medal
Spirit of Hven Spirit of Hven Stella Nova Master
Mackmyra Whisky Mackmyra Lab Cask Aged Gin Master
Hernö Gin Distillery Hernö Juniper Cask Gin Master
Dyfi Distillery Navigation Gin Gold
Distillerie des Appalaches Kepler Reserve Gold
Zamora Company Martin Miller’s 9 Moons Gin Gold
Mallorca Distillery Palma Spiced Gin Gold
Black Fox Farm and Distillery Black Fox Oaked Gin Silver
Oslo Håndverksdestilleri Fjæra Rosé gin Silver
Salcombe Distilling Co Salcombe Gin Voyager Series ‘Phantom’ Silver

Navy Strength

Company Product Medal
The Sky Wave Distilling
Company
Sky Wave Gin Navy Strength London Dry Master
Hernö Gin Distillery Hernö Navy Strength Gin Master
The West Winds Gin Broadside Gold
Junimperium Distillery Junimperium Navy Strength Gin Gold
Elephant Gin Elephant Strength Gin Gold
OSS Craft Distillery Bareksten Botanical Gin Navy Strength Silver
Four Pillars Distillery Four Pillars Navy Strength Gin Silver

Flavoured Gin

Company Product Medal
Gin Ting Passionfruit, Mango and Elderflower Master
Black Fox Farm and Distillery Black Fox Haskap Gin Master
Brewdog Distilling Co Lone Wolf Cloudy Lemon Gold
Blackwater Distillery Boyles Raspberry Blush Gold
OSS Craft Distillery Elsker Dry Pink Gin Gold
The Welsh Whisky Company Brecon Chocolate Orange Gin Gold
The West Winds Gin Wild Plum Gin Gold
Seppeltsfield Road Distillers 2020 Barossa Shiraz Gin Gold
Spirit of Harrogate Slingsby Rhubarb Gin Gold
Black Fox Farm and Distillery Black Fox Cucumber Gin (#7) Gold
Altia Sweden Explorer Pink Gin Gold
Diageo Gordon’s Sicilian Lemon Gold
Junimperium Distillery Junimperium Rhubarb Edition Gold
Wessex Distillery Gooseberry & Elderflower Gin Gold
Imagine Spirits Pink Robin Aronia Gin Silver
Salcombe Distilling Co Salcombe Gin ‘Rosé Sainte Marie’ Silver
The Welsh Whisky Company Brecon Rhubarb & Cranberry Gin Silver
Aldi Stores UK Haysmith’s Peach & Orange Blossom Gin Silver
Aldi Stores UK Haysmith’s Mango & Passionfruit Gin Silver
Aldi Stores UK Haysmith’s Seville Orange & Persian Lime Gin Silver
Manchester Gin Manchester Gin – Blackberry Infused Silver
Lidl GB Hortus Orange & Passionfruit Gin Silver
Spirit of Harrogate Slingsby Marmalade Gin Silver
Sir Edmond Sir Edmond Gin Silver
Mag Markus Gselmann Bærenman Dry Pink Gin Silver
Gin Ting Berries, Berries, Berries Silver
Spirit of The Lakes Bedrock Gooseberry and Elderflower Gin Silver

Sloe Gin

Company Product Medal
North Uist Distillery Downpour Sloe & Bramble Gold
Hernö Gin Distillery Hernö Sloe Gin Gold
Niedersachsen Gin Niedersachsen Gin Wild Picked Sloe Silver
Wessex Distillery English Sloe Gin Silver

Gin Liqueur

Company Product Medal
English Spirit Limongino Gold
Lidl GB Aquine Scottish Craft Gin Liqueur
Raspberry and Blackberry
Gold
Lidl GB Hortus Scottish Raspberry Gin Liqueur Gold
Lidl GB Hortus Pink Grapefruit & Elderflower Gin Liqueur Gold
Lidl GB Hortus Rhubarb Ginger Gin Liqueur Silver

It looks like you're in Asia, would you like to be redirected to the Drinks Business Asia edition?

Yes, take me to the Asia edition No