The Highest Scoring Gins From April 2017

The Lee cousins champion old-style gin but also dabble in modern expressions as well. Their wide array of gins are the centerpiece of the cocktail menu at their speakeasy-style bar called Brooklyn’s on Boulder St. This was released alongside Lee Spirits’ Lavender Flavored Gin.

Sacred Gins are produced by vacuum-distillation in the home of distiller Dan Hart in Highgate, London. This gin is part of a series that emphasizes one botanical; in this case, licorice root.

Two cousins passionate about gin started Lee Spirits in 2013. They use corn and wheat for their base distillate and the common bill of botanicals. They soak their botanicals in water overnight before distillation in a pot-still. Currently availability limited to Colorado.

A gin for all seasons? At Brandywine Branch Distillers in Elverson, Pennsylvania, a more accurate phrase may be a gin for EACH season. Harvest is their fall-time expression and features some malted grain in the base for a richer spirit. Also, traditional autumn spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, elderflower, and clove join more typical gin botanicals juniper, lemon, orange, angelica, and coriander.

Nolet Distillery, established in 1691 in Schiedam, is the home to Ketel 1 Jenevers, and the well-known Ketel One Vodka as well as Nolet's Gin. Jenevers are what they produced first. Named for their copper pot-still #1, the oldest working still in Schiedam, their "modern style" or Jonge was first introduced in 1977.

Released in 2013, this gin was created with the help of historian and all-around spirits guru, David Wondrich. He found a recipe dating back to 1809 which confirmed his suspicions of American colonials using rye to produce Dutch-style gin. The gin is made from New York Distilling Co's unaged rye whiskey which uses New York state grains. It is distilled a third time in a pot-still after some juniper berries and Cluster hops are added to the still. It is aged for 3 months in oak to round out the spirit.

This gin has one eye keenly on British tradition and another looking toward modern agricultural innovation. The spirit is based on a distillate of biodynamic rye passed through classic, artisanal, copper pot-stills. The botanical blend is a puritan blend of classic London Dry components including sustainable juniper, organic coriander seed, angelica root, and summer savory. The folks at Altitude Spirits in Colorado specialize in sourcing organic spirits from the world’s traditional crafters of iconic distillates. The adherence to a natural product doesn’t stop at the ingredients, as no colorization, sugar addition, or other modification post distillation. This is bottled at 37.5% ABV; there is a 43% ABV for the US market.

Wheeler's Western Dry Gin is named after George Wheeler, whose name also graces New Mexico's highest mountain. Along with juniper, it uses botanicals such as hops, osha root, cactus flowers, and sage.

Hidden River Gin is distilled by Manatawny Stillworks in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. They take their Odd Fellows No. 214 Gin and age it in 53-gallon new, white American oak barrels for six weeks. It is then bottled at 47% ABV.