Top 10 Gins To Try in 2019
For fans of gins, 2019 will be a great year to experiment with new brands and find something truly special that you can keep enjoying for years to come.
If you are looking for a comprehensive list of the best gins to try in 2019, this quick rundown should point you in the direction of some truly delicious varieties.
Bloom London Dry Gin
As a classic London Dry Gin, this is very much a traditional tipple that aims to meet expectations of gin lovers around the world.
It benefits from a flush of fine floral notes which your nose will detect long before your tongue comes in contact with the spirit. Its pedigree is further assured thanks to the distillation process, which is carried out in a copper pot still to preserve the vintage approach to gin making.
Priced at around £32, Bloom London Dry Gin is just one of a growing number of compelling varieties from this respected distillery.
Brockmans Premium Gin
The sleek black bottle of this stylish, modern gin is your first hint at the amount of effort which has gone into making it seem as cutting edge and credible as possible.
Pour it over some ice, add tonic and a twist of lemon and you will unlock its true potential. It emphasises smoothness of flavour, which is certainly a benefit if you are keen to avoid some of the harsher gins to try in 2019. Expect to splash out roughly £38 for a bottle of Brockmans Premium Gin.
Whitley Neill Rhubarb & Ginger Gin
Flavoured gins can sometimes trade intensity of alcoholic content in favour of adding outlandish, exciting tastes to the mix. This is not the case with this rhubarb and ginger-infused gin from Whitley Neill, which with a 43% ABV remains a full bodied option that still stands out thanks to the fruity, spicy additions made during distillation.
The combination of rhubarb and ginger might seem strange on paper, but it really works when experienced at first hand. And with a modest price tag of around £30, you can easily justify taking a punt on this premium quality gin product.
Drumshambo Gunpowder Irish Gin
While the UK might seem like the spiritual home of gin, it is made in many other countries around the world, including our nearby neighbour Ireland.
Gunpowder Irish Gin is an intriguing, inventive offering that harks back to the days in which this spirit was widely embraced across colonial outposts. A healthy hit of juniper is offset by a slight citrus tank and just the merest hint of salt.
You can pick up this gin for a little less than £34 and its beautiful blue bottle is enough to make it a talking piece before you have even taken a sip.
Jawbox Classic Dry Gin
Hailing from Northern Ireland, Jawbox is a distillery that has made a concerted effort to build a following and test its mettle on the international market. Its Classic Dry Gin is very much its calling card and if you are looking for gins to try, 2019 could be the year you see what it has to offer.
The botanicals used are at the spicier end of the spectrum to make sure that the spirit makes a big entrance when it encounters your palate. Look out for coriander, cardamom and liquorice when you give it a test run for under £30 a bottle.
Malfy Lemon Gin
If adding a slice of lemon to a G&T is not enough to satisfy your cravings for citrus, Malfy’s lemon variety is both sharp and sweet in equal measure, bringing with it the kind of innovative flavour profile that can only come from its Italian origins.
Of course you may not be the biggest fan of lemon, in which case you should also consider adding Malfy’s Blood Orange or Rosa gins to your wish list this year. Priced from £29, there is no better way to expand your gin drinking horizons than with this compelling continental competitors.
Caorunn Gin
Distilled in Scotland in small batches, this specialist gin is sold in an unassuming bottle, within which hides one of the best mainstream London Dry examples of the 21st century.
Everything about this gin is perfectly balanced, from the proportional provision of juniper and citrus to the mature presence of coriander. It is made to be savoured in a mindful way, rather than swallowed down without a second thought.
You can get your hands on this forward-thinking yet classically attractive Caorunn gin for as little as £34 for a 70cl bottle. With the warm weather on the way, now is the ideal time to take the plunge and try it out.
Roku Gin
There are plenty of Japanese gins on the market today; a testament to the fact that this spirit has found fame and earned a legion of supporters in most parts of the world. Roku is an appropriately appealing example of what Japan can muster, since the botanicals it relies upon are all native to this distant land.
Although some imported gins go out of their way to offer whacky flavour combinations or excessive ABVs, Roku’s example is elegant, unfussy and a pleasure to drink with ice and tonic. It does offer a little bit of intrigue thanks to the fruity, spicy notes that you might be able to detect.
If you are raring to put Roku gin to the test, you can pick up a bottle for £30 or less in the UK at the moment.
Sipsmith Gin
Few British gin brands have been gifted with as much critical acclaim as Sipsmith, so it is no surprise that we still recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in this sumptuous spirit.
Sipsmith’s London Dry Gin is the epitome of all that gin can offer to those seeking the purest experience around. Juniper is used to great effect, giving it presence and spice without overwhelming the fresh floral flavours that you would also expect from a gin of this quality.
Thanks to its mainstream success, Sipsmith is also fairly affordable and can be snapped up at sub-£31 price points.
Hendrick’s Gin
2019 marks the 20th anniversary of Hendrick’s introduction, which is a fact that might surprise many given that it seems to be so well established today that you could assume it has been around forever.
Prepare your taste buds for some truly refreshing flavours, as this gin packs a wallop when it comes to inventive botanicals. The wonderful sweetness of cucumber intermingles with the rambunctiousness of rose petals and a plethora of other ingredients.
Made using a duo of traditional stills and carefully crafted in batches of 500 litres, Hendrick’s Gin is both a commercial success and a connoisseur’s gin wrapped up in the same package. A bottle of this gin will set you back roughly £30, although occasional offers can make it even more affordable.
Now is the time to start expanding your gin collection, adding one or more of these jaw-dropping, life-changing products to your drinks cabinet so that you can immerse yourself in the wonders of spirits that have been made with passion passed down over decades.