Gin for the win! The 8 bottles in my basket from this weekend's sale

A spirit being poured into a glass surrounded by ice

(Image credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus / igorr1)

published 28 November 2025

I'm not going to pretend otherwise: I bloomin' love a gin. I love the juniper back note, the various complexity that makes each unique, and the crisp freshness of them all – plus the fun of pairing with various citrus peels, dried fruits or spices.

I'm that kind of guy who has subscribed to the 'gin in a box' in the recent past – but, given that you never know what you're going to get, I've since sacked that off. It does, however, mean that I've tried a huge range of gins, including some of the obscurities within this very list.

Tanqueray No. Ten | 70cl

You can't age gin, so the '10' is nothing to do with age – it's just Tanqueray's variation on the original, which uses fresh citrus in its production to elevate the flavour.

Edinburgh Gin | 70cl

I've visited this small batch distillery and in addition to this base gin, Edinburgh Gin also makes some great flavoured ones too (which is rare you'll ever hear me say).

Aviation American Gin | 70cl

I recently bought the airport 'Expedition Strength' of this and, wow, it's punchy. I prefer this, the original, which allows downs the botanical-forward mix to shine.

Whitley Neill Distiller's Cut | 1l

Another juniper-forward gin, there's almost a spiciness to Whitley Neill – a peppery kind of hit for my palate, that's rounded with some citrus notes to balance it out.

Ukiyo Tokyo Dry Gin | 70cl

After trying Ki No Bi in Tokyo, it gave me an interest in Japanese gin. Ukiyo is less junipery, with its use of a shochu base and yuzu providing a more delicate freshness.

Drumshanbo Gunpowder | 70cl

It's called Gunpowder for a reason. I tried this in Ireland and its use of tea, cardamom and peppery flavours makes it ideal for a Red Snapper (gin's answer to a Bloody Mary).

Lind & Lime Gin | 70cl

I received a bottle of this in a subscription box once. It's a nice Scottish gin, which uses lime peels and pink peppercorns for its distinctive sweet-yet-gin-y taste.

Whitley Neill Mince Pie Gin | 70cl

Okay, I'll admit, I don't even like mince pies... But, c'mon, it's nearly Christmas! This seems like an ideal (slash 'fun'!) choice to take to someone's house over the festive period.

Mike is T3's Tech Editor. He's been writing about consumer technology for 15 years and his beat covers phones – of which he's seen hundreds of handsets over the years – laptops, gaming, TV & audio, and more. There's little consumer tech he's not had a hand at trying, and with extensive commissioning and editing experience, he knows the industry inside out. As the former Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint for 10 years where he furthered his knowledge and expertise, whilst writing about literally thousands of products, he's also provided work for publications such as Wired, The Guardian, Metro, and more.

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