The Top Community Rated Gins From Last Week

Bluecoat Elderflower Gin is a limited edition release sold at the the distillery and in the Philadelphia area. Using the brand's Original American Dry Gin as the base, organic elderflower macerates in the spirit. This is bottled at 47% ABV.

This flagship product is one of the best selling gins in the world. It is made using James Burrough's original recipe that he created back in 1863 when he founded Beefeater. Nine botanicals — juniper, lemon peel, coriander seed, almond, Seville orange peel, orris root, licorice root, angelica root, and angelica seed — are steeped in a neutral spirit for 24 hours before going through an 8-hour distillation process. It's released in various ABVs in different markets around the globe.

Bombay Sapphire was first introduced in 1987. The bottle's utterly recognizable blue bottle is now an icon and adorned with an image of Queen Victoria. The gin itself is comprised of 10 botanicals which include cubeb berries, almonds, licorice root, and grains of paradise. Using the vapor distillation method, the botanicals are introduced into the neutral spirit by placing them on perforated copper baskets with the vapor of the distillate passing over them. Only water is added to bring down to proof.

Hendrick's launched in 2001 and is distilled in Scotland at the Girvan distillery. It is distilled in small batches (500 liters) in two different stills using 11 different botanicals including elderflower, chamomile, and yarrow. One batch is made in a Bennet still which produces a heavier spirit (botanicals are macerated) and one is done in a Carter-head still (botanicals are vapor-infused) which produces a lighter spirit. The two are blended together and then infused with rose and cucumbers. It is then brought down to proof with water.

Tanqueray is named after its founder, Charles Tanqueray, who established the brand in 1830. Originally distilled in London, it has been distilled in Fife, Scotland since 1998 at the Cameronbridge Distillery. Their neutral grain spirit is wheat based and made in house. The four known botanicals for the gin are juniper, angelica root, coriander seed, and licorice root. This is distilled in a one-shot method as opposed to making a gin concentrate which needs to have neutral spirit and water added to dilute. Here, they just add enough water to bring down to proof which varies dependent on where it is sold.

Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin is produced using twelve botanicals, eight that are traditionally infused and four that are vapor infused. Meadowsweet, sourced in the town of Drumshanbo in Co. Leitrim where the gin is produced, along with cardamom, juniper, coriander, angelica root, orris root, caraway, and star anise all go directly into the copper pot stills. The kaffir lime, oriental grapefruit, Chinese lemon and gunpowder tea are vapor infused.

Released in May 2017 to the UK, this Hendrick's release was created by Master Distiller Lesley Gracie. The same distillate as their standard Hendrick's Gin is used, but this gin has added extracts of quinine, wormwood, and blue lotus blossom. Orbium is the plural for "orbis", Latin for "circle" and is said to represent the “spherical round taste” that Gracie refers to when describing Hendrick’s house style. Only 4000 bottles were produced with initial bottles being sold at bars on-premise. Update: As of December 2018, this product is available in the US.

Hailing from Germany’s Black Forest, Monkey 47 is an exotic gin made with a molasses base. The 47 refers to the number of botanicals used which includes such unlikely fruit ingredients like lingonberries, blackberries, and honey pomelo. These are combined with a host of recognizable gin botanicals such as chamomile, sage, angelica, coriander, and a whole array of others. Another anomaly at Monkey 47 is that the distillate is aged in earthenware containers for three months before being brought to 47% ABV with the forest’s celebrated water.

Plymouth Gin is unique in that it is both a gin brand and gin style. A Plymouth-style gin can only be produced in Plymouth, England. The Plymouth Gin brand was first distilled in 1793 at the historic Black Friars Distillery and is (currently) the only gin brand produced in the city. It is made with grain spirit and seven botanicals: juniper berries, coriander seed, orange and lemon peel, green cardamom, angelica root and orris root. After distillation, the gin is then bottled at 41.2% ABV.

The Botanist Gin is produced by Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay, an island off the west coast of Scotland. In addition to 9 standard botanicals, it's made with 22 wild Islay botanicals that were hand-foraged locally and sustainably. Those botanicals include apple mint, heather, red clover, and meadowsweet among many others. The gin is distilled over 17 hours in a Lomond Still named Ugly Betty. It is bottled at 46% ABV.