^{Some of the gins featured were kindly gifted. Article contains affiliate links.}

It’s not easy whittling down a year’s worth of new admissions to my collection to my top ten but, I’m not going to lie, it is pretty fun! This year’s top ten has, I think, a good balance of older classics (for want of a better word), such as Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin which is celebrating its 10th birthday, alongside newer releases. With that in mind, it seems worth repeating how I’ve gone about choosing these gins over the years. Of course every gin must be exceptional (in my personal opinion!) but beyond that the only other (self-imposed) rule is that gins can only feature in my top ten once. They don’t have to be new releases; just new(ish) to me and/or my collection. So, with that clarification, and without further ado, here are the top ten gins I enjoyed last year (and a few honourable mentions too)…

Le Tribute

I fell hard for Le Tribute the first time I tried it at the Gin Foundry many moons ago, but it only recently joined my collection. Made by Destilierias MG (the same team behind Gin Mare), Le Tribute is created using 11 botanicals – including lime, kumquat, lemon, pink and green grapefruit, mandarin, lemongrass, and both bitter and sweet oranges – with each botanical group being individually distilled. Fresh, vibrant and citrus-forward, with underlying notes of lemongrass and juniper, it’s downright delicious!

Serve with Le Tribute Tonic Water or in a Martini.

70cl 43% ABV £42.90 from Master of Malt

Archipelago Black Bamboo Gin

One of the stand-out gins at last year’s Junipalooza, the newest release from Full Circle Distillers is as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside! Created in the Philippines using organic Japanese black bamboo cultivated on their family farm, this gin has a delicious spicy cardamom bite which is right up my street. I love this gin neat, and with a splash of tonic, but it also stands up really well to mixing.

Serve in Negroni or Martinez.

70cl 45% ABV £40 from Amazon

Box Moor Gin

Originally created by Puddingstone Distillery (home of Campfire Gin) to celebrate the 425th Anniversary of The Box Moor Trust in 2019, this second batch features juniper hand-picked from a single bush on the trust’s estate in Hemel Hempstead. Featuring British coriander seed, British angelica root, orris powder and fresh cut lime, it is the local juniper that really shines in this gin, from its rich, green nose to the piney, herbaceous and almost oily palate and pleasingly long finish. If that’s not tempting enough, £2.00 from the sale of each bottle also goes back to supporting The Box Moor Trust’s conservation work.

Serve with Indian tonic and a slice of lime, or in a Gimlet.

70cl 40% ABV £40 from Puddingstone Distillery

Stag Spiced Gin

When I saw Stag Spiced Gin had been awarded an incredible 96 points at The IWSC Awards, I had to give it a go at Junipalooza. I was so impressed I bought a bottle, but it was only when I got back home and did a little research I discovered I was one of those IWSC judges who had awarded its gold medal in the first place! A London Dry Gin featuring coriander, cubeb, cloves, cardamom, grapefruit peel and rosemary, it’s beautifully balanced with a great finish.

Serve with Indian or Earl Grey tonic water and an orange zest garnish.

50cl 46% ABV £36 from Sip’n’Swig

Broken Bat Greater Than Gin

Created by aging Greater Than’s classic London Dry Gin with toasted Kashmir Willow from crowd-sourced cricket bats and off-cuts obtained from a bat-maker in Kashmir, Broken Bat Gin is one of my all time favourite aged gins. Well made and beautifully balanced, Broken Bat Gin is bold and woody, but with a juniper core alongside some sweeter caramel and toffee notes. Having also claimed a win at The Gin Guide awards and a prestigious Masters Medal at The Spirits Masters, this is definitely a gin well worth seeking out.

Serve neat over ice or in classic Negroni.

70cl 47% ABV £35.95 from Master of Malt

Warner’s Harrington Dry Gin

I’ve always known Warner’s Harrington Dry Gin was top notch but visiting their family farm and distillery last year cemented that for me, and I couldn’t leave without buying a bottle! Warner’s multi-award winning first-born is bold yet classic featuring juniper, coriander seed, elderflower, cardamom, black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, angelica root, orange and lemon peel, and a secret ingredient! Better yet, B Corp-certified Warner’s grow many of their own botanicals on site and are even self-sufficient in three.

Enjoy with premium tonic and a slice of orange or in any classic cocktail.

70cl 44% ABV £34 from Warner’s Distillery

James Gin Asian Parsnip

It will surprise no-one that I am neither a big fan of James May nor of celebrity spirits in general, but when I discovered James May’s gin is made at Downton Distillery (home to Explorer’s Gin) I couldn’t resist giving it a go. I was very impressed with the entire range but it’s the unusual Asian Parsnip Gin that won the top spot for me. Created using British sweet parsnip and a blend of Asian spices – including ginger and green cardamom – it is wonderfully aromatic and truly tasty.

Enjoy in a Sour or Asian Collins.

70cl 40% ABV £39 from James Gin

Bathtub Gin Damson & Bay

If you like sloe gin you will love this Damson & Bay Gin from Bathtub. Their take on a seasonal sloe gin, this is an aromatic, jammy twist on the classic Bathtub botanicals. Smooth, fruity and rich, it is the perfect winter warmer sipped neat, and – bottled at a full strength 43.3% ABV – it makes a brilliant Negroni too, rounding out those more bitter notes with a subtle sweetness similar to a Sloegroni. 

Sip neat or serve in a Negroni.

70cl 43.3% ABV £34.95 from Master of Malt

Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin

Four Pillars has to be one of my favourite overseas distilleries so their original Rare Dry Gin definitely deserves a place on this list. Combining spicy Asian botanicals with citrus notes from whole fresh oranges and native lemon myrtle, this is a truly magnificent and modern Australian gin that deserves a place in every gin lover’s collection.

Serve in a G&T or Martini.

70cl 41.8% ABV £33.95 from Master of Malt

Hernö Navy Strength Gin

I could justify including almost any Hernö Gin in my top ten but the Navy Strength is the one that I added to my collection last year so here it is! Using the same recipe as their flagship gin, the higher-ABV Navy Strength Gin features black pepper, cassia, coriander, lemon peel, lingonberries, meadowsweet and vanilla, and is an absolute belter (as is the original bottling at 40.5%)!

Serve in a Gin Sour, Martini or Martinez.

50cl 57% ABV £38.99 from Master of Malt

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So there we have it, my favourite gins of 2023! Although honourable mentions should also go to Warner’s 10th Birthday Old Tom, Warner’s x Four Pillars Harrington Shiraz, Isle of Harris Gin, Melifera Edizione Cross, Penrhos London Dry Gin and 57° Skye earth & sea London Dry which I knocked back so quickly I didn’t have any left to evaluate for this exercise!

So what do you reckon of my top ten? And what were your favourite gins of 2023? Let me know in the comments below, or check out my Top Tens from previous years for more inspiration. And, if you’ve got this far and enjoyed this blog, maybe you could also vote for me in the People’s Choice Drinks Awards pretty please?! (voting closes Monday 19th February 2024)