Words by Aidy Smith
If I tried to create this article two years ago, I wouldn’t have gotten very far. Truth is, the gin market is way oversaturated and new creativity and innovation is often hard to come by. The same botanicals are created in the same fashion and too frequently passed off with a ‘unique story’ to try and capture the attention of the consumer. As a drinks journalist I get inundated with samples of new gins and very few these days stand out.
That said – all of those within this guide have two things in common. Firstly, the liquid is sensational and secondly, they set the mark for ginnovation (yes, I made that up) and prove that you can do something differently if you put a little thought into it. Sure, some of them are pretty damn expensive, but when it comes to rarity and limited supplies that’s what happens. Either way, if the liquid is good, I’m a happy boy. So, without further ado, Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the most luxurious gins on the planet.
Jam Jar Gin Morus LXIV
When it takes two years to produce a gin (which can also only be created from a single 100-year-old Mulberry tree), you know you’re on to something special. In fact, this could very well be one of the rarest gins in existence, hence the price tag. One look at the bottle continues to give the impression of pure craftmanship. The porcelain vessel, cork, cotton paper labels and hide leather case all confirming this. But what about the taste of such an expensive liquid? Exquisitely smooth, with a subtle velvety oak and smoky sweetness, that’s what. Pure juniper rolls off the tongue with pure zesty citrus oils. As for drinking it… just pour in your favourite tonic (I’m kidding please DON’T do that). Their advice is to savour this neat for a true experience, followed by a couple of drops of water, just as you would a cask-strength scotch. Say hello to the world’s most expensive gin.
ABV: 64%
Size: 730ml
Buy now for £3200
Grand Cru Gin
Are you a fan of Grand Cru Burgundy? Because I am. I’m also a fan of when people try to do something that hasn’t been done before. – Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t always work, but in this instance, it did. Grand Cru Gin is created with 50% Grand Cru Burgundy (25% cold distilled and 25% hot distilled) which is then blended with 50% gin. The botanicals are pretty luxurious too – with raspberry, strawberry, black truffle, rose and violet all making it into the mix. Presentation box, snazzy decanter, well, it certainly looks the part too, so what’s not to love?
ABV: 47%
Size: 700ml
Buy now for £495
Anty Gin
I started to become bored of gin when just about everyone started using the same ingredients, only to claim they were doing something otherworldly or special – these guys really kicked it up a notch. The Nordic Food Lab teamed up with Cambridge Distillery to produce Anty Gin, which as the name would suggest, contains the essence of around 62 red wood ants in each bottle. Ants have somewhat of a citrussy element to them, which jumps out quite vibrantly on the palate. It doesn’t stop with just the main affair either, each bottle is equipped with a 5cl dropper bottle of pure ant distillate. Probably the most bizarre, yet equally tasty gin on the list.
ABV: 42%
Size: 720ml
Buy now for £200
Truffle Gin
I used to joke that if my career ever failed, I’d just create a luxury Truffle Gin and get rich that way – turns out someone already beat me to it. White truffle from Alba in Piedmont is the quintessential ingredient here, which I can tell you from having visited these lands, is bloody tasty. Distilled in a way that preserves the full essence and flavour of the truffle itself, this gin isn’t made for tonic – it’s made to be sipped neat, over ice with a twist of orange rind. When you’re drinking something that’s worth more per gram than gold, you do it the right way. Capeesh?
ABV: 42%
Size: 700ml
Buy Now for £73
Ki No Bi Gin Edition G
I’d never heard of a gin aged in old champagne casks until now. The two seem to work marvellously together in cocktails, but how about as an ageing method? Henri Giraud tied the knot with Ki No Bi, pioneers of the first well-known gin from Tokyo to create this taste sensation. Only 1,740 bottles were released in total and they recommend concocting a French 75 to enjoy it at its best. Classy, darling.
ABV: 42%
Size: 700ml
Buy now for £110
Comte de Grasse 44°N
Ultrasonic maceration, vacuum distillation and CO2 supercritical extraction… umm what?! What indeed. Essentially, this is inspired by how perfumes are made, but they decided to try make gin instead. It may sound high-tech and fancy, but in fact this method is incredibly sustainable and efficient which can only add to the intrigue of what is inside the bottle. The list of botanicals is vast, with cade (a species of juniper), verbena, everlasting (a golden flower), horse parsley, samphire, lavender, mimosa, grapefruit, patchouli and Sichuan pepper to name just a few. In sum, modern distilling methods meet cutting edge perfume extraction to create a fusion of flavours that will play with your senses. They did their homework and it shows. Bonus points if you wear it as a perfume (please don’t).
ABV: 44%
Size: 500ml
Buy now for £75
Nginious! Vermouth Cask Finished Gin
Cask finishing is a concept that not enough people understand, but products like this help you to get a feel for the beauty that can be created when such an art takes place. Using the original spirit (in this case the award winning Nginious! gin) you age it further in a cask that has previously held another quality wine or spirit. Doing so maintains the original flavours but adds a divine twist encompassing more personality into the new creation. Nginious!, contains botanicals such as bee balm, blackcurrant leaves, galangala and camomile, which when further aged for 5 months in a Vermouth di Torino cask adds a whole new layer of complexity. Notes of bitter orange and oriental spices intertwine with the signature herbal aromas this gin has become known for. To top things off the leather case adds that final luxurious twist.
ABV: 43%
Size: 500ml
Buy now for £65.50
Ferdinand’s Goldcap Gin
This gem is produced only once a year in incredibly small batches as they only use the heart of the small batch distillation in the final product. Using select botanical including dried Riesling grapes, mirabelles and cocoa beans alongside local acacia and pears, there is no other gin like this. Smooth, sweet and fruit all at the same time. Auslese Goldkapsel grapes make this distillation to a unique limited bottling worth drinking only neat and on the rocks.
ABV: 49%
Size: 500ml
Buy now for £95
Cambridge Distillery Watenshi $2700
By far one of the most expensive gins on the market, Watenshi has quite an interesting story. It is created from the ‘angels share’ of their Japanese Gin, the angels share typically being lost to evaporation is preserved during their distillation process. Collecting just 15ml per distillation you can begin to see why this is so hard to come by. The result is a product of undeniable intensity, complexly and expression. Only six bottles of Watenshi can be created within each batch and this product is described as being comparable to some of the world’s finest single malts and significantly aged cognacs from within the gin category. Sweet citrus, gentle spice butter juniper alongside an incredible long and seductive finish are what can be expected. The final product is presented in a hand-blown decanter and finished with silver jewels from a jeweller who Cambridge Distillery claim has other clients include Chanel, Tom Ford and De Beers. Alright folks, no need to name drop… let’s let the liquid speak for itself, eh?
ABV: 45%
Size: 700ml
Buy now for £2000
