There is no BS here and with that I would opt for a no BS Negroni that puts a big cheeky grin on my face!”

In the highly sought-after taste competition, 11 Gold Medals were presented with Edinburgh Gin collecting two gold medals.Launching in July 2018, King’s Hill Gin takes its name from a bet between King Robert the Bruce and Sir William ‘The Crusader’ Sinclair, which took place in the Pentland Hills, where the distillery is based. Made with 12 botanicals including the locally foraged gorse, heather, wild rosehip and elderflower. The juniper is beautifully balanced, and lingers purposefully behind those bold red fruits, with suggestions of a rich and warming sweet spice. It works brilliantly as a G&T, with a fresh raspberry garnish. The tonic pulls forward a little more sweetness, whilst maintaining the strong raspberry flavour, putting a delicate and floral touch on a classic. Just like the Caorunn you know and love Caorunn Scottish Raspberry is expertly handcrafted at Balmenach Distillery in the Scottish Highlands, in small batches of 1,000 litres at a time. Utilising Scotland’s unique natural resources, each drop of this delicious new gin is infused to perfection in our Copper Berry Chamber. The first of several navy strength gins on our list is a relative newcomer to the Scottish Gin scene. Launching in May 2020, Biggar Gin have built on their growing following with the playfully named Biggar Strength. Winner of a silver medal at the London Spirits Competition 2020, it uses the locally foraged hawthorn berry as a key botanical. Barra natives, Michael and Katie Morrison founded Isle of Barra Distillers in 2017. Originally contract distilled, the husband and wife team realised their dream of bringing distilling to their remote and beautiful island home in 2019.

Launched in 2017, Hills & Harbour is distilled in the southwest Scotland, and is one of the few grain to glass distilleries in the country – meaning they make their own base spirit from scratch. The Scottish Gin Awards have revealed gin brands which have successfully achieved medal status in 2023, following the awards dinner in Glasgow this month. Overall, please don’t think that we’re trying to underplay Caorunn by stating that it’s a ‘traditional gin’. It is, and it’s an excellent one at that. Caorunn is well made, well balanced and very good value. Do try it if you haven’t already. Buy Caorunn Gin 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.Based in Aberdeenshire, Little Brown Dog Spirits was founded by Andrew Smith and Chris Reid. Their flagship gin, LBD, is a newcomer to the Scottish gin scene, launching in May 2020.

As with many of the gins on our list, it uses a mix of foraged and bought-in botanicals. But unlike of the Scottish gins we’ve mentioned here, it features parsnip in the mix! Other notable botanicals inlude wood sorrel, rhubarb and birch sap. If you think of a gin that has the smell of a malting floor and added juniper, this is Tobermory. Since I’m a whisky drinker, this is right up my street and Tobermory makes an absolutely excellent Martinez and Negroni that sort of become very Rob Roy and Boulevardier-like due to the whisky notes coming through.” The Caorunn brand is owned by International Beverage Holdings, so the good news is that it’s widely distributed and available.

Created by James Porteous, Achroous Gin has built a strong reputation as an exceptional Scottish Gin, culminating in winning double gold at the prestigious San Fransisco World Spirits Competition. The second expression from Raven Spirits to make it onto our list, like its sister expression, Hrafn Thought & Memory features mandarin as its signature botanical.

Julian Vallis says:“I like Achroous because of it breaking the mould by being a ‘sessionable’ gin with an Old Tom character, despite it having no added sugar. With their bespoke bottle launching in the summer of 2020, The Pentland Still Distillery made a significant investment in their brand. For a small distillery, it shouldn’t go understated. Distilled in Leith, the Edinburgh port has a long history with gin. Achroous uses botanicals such as liquorice, fennel seed and Sichuan.

These are foraged by master distiller Simon Buley from the countryside around the Highland distillery. The local ingredients are supported by 6 traditional botanicals which you’ll find in many gins, namely juniper, coriander seed, orange peel, lemon peel, angelica root and cassia bark. Distillation Disclosure: Katie was previously sent a miniature of Biggar Strength Gin, but was so impressed she bought a full bottle after tasting! Julian Vallis says:“Tobermory throws the notion of a traditional gin out the window and just lets the malty base shine through with absolutely no effort to hide the fact this comes from a whisky distillery. 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.