The Scottish Gin Awards have revealed gin brands which have successfully achieved medal status in 2023, following the awards dinner in Glasgow this month.
The results are highly regarded as they are independently audited by a panel of experts and judged live in a rigorously assessed blind tasting event.
Almost 200 gins - all distilled in Scotland - were blind tasted this year and medals awarded in 11 categories.
The ultimate award, Scottish Gin Distillery of the Year, was presented for a second year in a row to North Uist Distillery. They also collected the award for Best New Product of the Year for their Downpour Coast & Croft Gin.
In the highly sought-after taste competition, 11 Gold Medals were presented with Edinburgh Gin collecting two gold medals.
Beinn an Tuirc Distillers, South Loch Gin and Linlithgow Distillery also won multiple taste medals.
21 Scottish Gin brands achieved medal status and nine Scottish gin brands collected Gold Medals.
Chair of the judging panel, Adam Hardie, Partner and Head of Food and Drink at Johnston Carmichael, said: “It continues to be a very tough and challenging year but many are not just surviving but excelling.
"For success in business we need formidable leadership, strong brands, great tasting products, good distribution and profitable growth. Congratulations to all the finalists and winners and we wish them future success on the back of these well-deserved awards.”
Kirsten Speirs, Director of KDMedia and founder of the Scottish Gin Awards, added: “Thanks to the commitment of our sponsors and Scottish gin businesses, the Scottish Gin Awards continues to highlight achievements in gin distilling at a national level.
"Scotland has a long history of distilling gin of superior quality and we continue to produce some of the best gins in the UK. Wise gin drinkers will see that these gins are the best made in Scotland right now and shop with the knowledge that they come highly recommended by our gin experts from across in the UK.”
The winners of the 2023 Scottish Gin Awards
Scottish Gin Distillery of the Year
Winner: North Uist Distillery
Finalists
- Great Glen Distillery
- Isle Of Barra Distillers
Excellence in Branding, sponsored by Rankin Brothers & Sons
Winner: Persie Distillery
Finalists
- Angels Dare Cocktails
- Great Glen Distillery
- Isle Of Barra Distillers
- Lanark Distillery
Excellence in Sustainability, sponsored by Eastern Exhibition & Display
Winner: North Coast Distillers
Finalists
- Electric Spirit Co.
- Little Brown Dog Spirits
Excellence in Packaging
Winner: Isle of Barra Distillers
Finalists
- Isle of Skye Distillers
- Kinrara Distillery
- Linlithgow Distillery
- Smugglers Spirits
Gin Tourist Destination of the Year
Winner: Beinn an Tuirc Distillers
Finalists
- Angus Alchemy, Carnoustie
- Arbikie Highland Estate, Montrose
- Kinrara Distillery, Aviemore
- Lind & Lime, Leith
- Peebles Hydro (1881 Gin), Peebles
- Shetland Distillery, Shetland
- Stirling Distillery, Stirling
- The Wee Farm Distillery, Forth
- Tiree Distillery, Isle of Tiree
Ready to Drink Product of the Year, sponsored by In Drinks
Winner: Angels Dare Cocktails, Cheeky Wee Kiss
Finalists
- Billingtons of Lenzie – Lenzie Gin & Tonic
- Edinburgh Gin – Edinburgh Gin Strawberry & Pink Peppercorn
Best New Product of the Year sponsored by Vetroelite
Winner: North Uist Distillery, Downpour Coast & Croft
Finalists
- Edinburgh Gin - Edinburgh Gin Strawberry & Pink Peppercorn
- Great Glen Distillery - Inverness Gin
- Isle of Barra Distillers - Barra Atlantic Gin
- Kinrara Distillery - Artists Edition Gin 'Caper'
Taste medals
London Dry Gin of the Year, sponsored by Kimia
Gold: North Coast Distillers - Crosskirk Bay Gin
Silver: Orkney Gin Company - Aatta Gin
Bronze: Beinn an Tuirc Distillers - Isle of Gigha Coastal Gin
Finalists
- Angus Alchemy - Prickly Gin
- Beinn an Tuirc Distillers - Kintyre Gin
- Billingtons of Lenzie - Lenzie Gin
- Caorunn - Caorunn Scottish Gin
- Crafty Distillery - Hills & Harbour Gin
- CVH Spirits - Tobermory Hebridean Mountain Gin
- Edinburgh Gin - Classic
- Fidra Gin - Fidra Gin
- Gorgeous Gin - Miss G Gorgeous Scottish Gin
- Great Glen Distillery - Great Glen Premium Scottish Gin
- Great Glen Distillery - Inverness Gin
- Isle Of Barra Distillers - Barra Atlantic Gin
- Kilmartin Glen Spirits - Kilmartin Gin
- Kinrara Distillery - Kinrara Highland Dry
- Linlithgow Distillery - LinGin Dry
- Little Brown Dog Spirits - Aberdeenshire Coastal Gin - Local Hero Edition
- North Uist Distillery - Downpour Coast & Croft Gin
- North Uist Distillery - Downpour Scottish Dry Gin
- Peebles Hydro - 1881 Hydro Gin London Dry
- Persie Distillery - Mount Strange Gin
- Persie Distillery - Persie Labrador Gin
- Pràban na Linne - Gaelic Gin - Sùg/ Dry
- Shetland Distillery Company - Shetland Reel Ocean Sent
- Spirit O'Clyde - Ar Baile Dry Gin
- Stirling Distillery - Stirling Gin
- Summerhall Distillery - Pickering's Gin with Scottish Botanicals
- The Perth Distillery Co - Perth Gin Original
Distilled Gin of the Year, sponsored by Joseph Flach & Sons
Gold: Edinburgh Gin - Seaside
Silver: Dornoch Distillery - Thompson Brothers Organic Mediterranean Gin
Bronze: Little Brown Dog Spirits - Aberdeenshire Foraged Gin - Unlimited Edition
Finalists
- Lunun Gin - Lunun Gin
- Isle of Skye Distillers - Misty Isle Salty & Sweet Gin
- Edinburgh Gin - 1670
- Lanark Distillery - Corra Linn Handcrafted Scottish Gin
- Isle of Skye Distillers - Misty Isle Classically Aromatic Gin
- Tiree Whisky Company (Tyree Gin) - Tyree Gin
Citrus Flavoured Gin of the Year
Gold: Edinburgh Gin - Orange & Basil
Silver: Shetland Distillery - Shetland Reel ZEsty Gin
Bronze: Beinn an Tuirc Distillers - Ceann Loch Citrus Gin
Finalists
- Linlithgow Distillery - LinGin Colours Lime
- Linlithgow Distillery - LinGin Colours Yuzu
- Smugglers Spirits - Smugglers Orange Gin
- South Loch Gin Distillery at 56 North - South Loch - Exotic Citrus
- South Loch Gin Distillery at 56 North - South Loch Citrus & Lime Flower
Herb & Spice Flavoured Gin of the Year
Gold: Linlithgow Distillery - Four Marys Subtly Spiced
Silver: Pràban na Linne - Gaelic Gin - Sgealp / Spiced
Bronze: Edinburgh Gin - Experimental Series - Scandi Gin
Finalists
- Electric Spirit Co. - Achroous Gin
- Fassfern Distillery - Fassfern Highland Gin
- Ice and Fire Distillery - Crofters Tears
- Persie Distillery - Pinewood Gin
High Strength Gin of the Year
Gold: The Biggar Gin Company – Biggar Strength Gin
Silver: Edinburgh Gin - Cannonball
Bronze: Beinn an Tuirc Distillers – Tarbert Legbiter
Finalists
- Linlithgow Distillery - LinGin Navy Strength
- Peeble Hydro - 1881 Honours Navy Strength
- Summerhall Distillery – Pickering's Navy Strength Gin
Pink Gin of the Year
Gold: Great Glen Distillery – Premium Pink Gin
Silver: Linlithgow Distillery – LinGin Berry
Bronze: South Loch Gin Distillery at 56 North – Distillers Edition – Scottish Summer Gin
Finalists
- Beinn an Tuirc Distillers – Kintyre Pink
- Ice and Fire Distillery – Pinkys Promise
- Peebles Hydro – 1881 Pavilion Pink
- Striling Distillery – Stirling Pink
- The Perth Distillery Co – Perth Pink
Festive Gin of the Year
Gold: Fassfern Distillery – Christmas Gin
Silver: South Loch Gin Distillery at 56 North – Spiced Cranberry & Clementine
Bronze: Kinrara Distillery – Distiller's Edition Oaked Spice
Finalists
- Great Glen Christmas Edition – Gold Frankincense and Myrrh
- Orkney Distilling – Yuletide
- The Perth Distillery Co – Perth Gin Winter Spiced
Old Tom of the Year
Gold: North Uist Distillery – Downpour Pink
Silver: South Loch Gin Distillery at 56 North – Rhubard New Tom
Bronze: The Biggar Gin Company – Biggar Old Tom Recipe
Finalists
- Isle of Skye Distillers – Misty Isle Fruity & Floral Pink Gin
- Orkney Gin Company – Rhubarb Old Tom
- South Loch Gin Distillery at 56 North – South Loch Black Raspberry Old Tom
- The Start up Drinks Lab – Old Thom
Gin Liqueur of the Year
Gold: Summerhall Distillery – Pickering's Sloe Gin
Silver: Stirling Distillery – Tropical Triumph
Bronze: Lunun Gin - Brambley
Finalists
- Edinburgh Gin – Rhubarb & Ginger Gin Liqueur
- Lunun Gin – Jamberry
- North Uist Distillery – Downpour Sloe & Bramble Gin
- Persie Distillery – Persie Sloe & Plum Gin
- Stirling Distillery – Green Lady
- The Perth Distillery Co = Perth Gin Blood Orange Liqueur
- Turadh Distillery – Honey Berry
Cask Gin of the Year
Gold: Linlithgow Distillery – LinGin Cask Aged #3 – Oloroso Cask
Silver: Glenwyvis Distillery – Cask Matured Goodwill Quercus Robur Gin
Bronze: Caorunn – Cask Aged Gin
Finalists
- Isle Of Barra Distillers - Gold Cave Vol.2 - Barra Atlantic Gin
- Linlithgow Distillery - LinGin Cask Aged #5 – Benrinnes Cask
- Little Brown Dog Spirits - #projectNEGRONIDEFINITIVO
- South Loch Gin Distillery at 56 North - South Loch Distillers Edition - Juniper & Citrus Cask Gin
Flavoured Gin of the Year
Gold: Lanark Distillery - Corra Linn Handcrafted Scottish Raspberry Gin
Silver: Smugglers Spirits - Raspberry Gin
Bronze: Linlithgow Distillery - LinGin Colours Coconut
Finalists
- Caorunn - Raspberry Gin
- Edinburgh Gin - Experimental Series - Marmalade Sandwich
- Linlithgow Distillery - LinGin Colours Raspberry
- Peebles Hydro - 1881 Rafters Subtly Smoked
- Smugglers Spirits - Smugglers Strawberry Gin
- The Wee Farm Distillery - Coorie Gin