The top gins of the year 2025 may include gins you love. It may not have some bottles you expect to see. That’s because it’s purely a list of gins that hit the Master of Malt virtual shelves in 2025. That’s the only qualifying factor. Oh, and that we liked them.
Gin in 2025 continues to thrive on two fronts: flawless execution of classic styles and boundary-pushing that doesn’t lose sight of itself. From citrus-driven London dry expressions to smoked coastal experiments, these are the gins that stood out to us this year.
Makes a mean cocktail, does The Botanist Distiller’s Strength
The Botanist Distiller’s Strength
Bruichladdich’s gin, turned up a notch. Bottled at 50% ABV, this Distiller’s Strength edition amplifies the character of all 22 hand-foraged Islay botanicals without losing balance. The mouthfeel is lush and velvety, the flavours deeply herbal and layered, and the structure robust enough to stand up in cocktails. A proper Martini gin.
Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru Murcian Lemon Gin
Bombay Sapphire leaned hard into citrus this year. You would think that was tired ground. Premier Cru Murcian Lemon Gin proves that good ingredients never get old. Sustainably grown fino lemons, mandarins, and sweet naval oranges from Murcia help this London dry burst with bright, zesty freshness.
Buy Fishers Smoked Gin from Master of Malt
Fishers Smoked Gin
If someone told me they were going to oak-smoke their coastal botanicals before distillation, I would say “HELL YES!” Because I like smoky flavours. And I like salty, coastal flavours. I particularly like combining the two in a Martini glass and adding olives and brine, and swimming in its murky waters. Fishers Gin catches my drift. A partnership with Smokehouse Pinney’s of Orford led them to smoke locally foraged sea purslane, rock samphire, and bog myrtle in hessian sacks over five days. It’s delicious, and also makes a great Gin Bloody Mary (called a Red Snapper).
Aureus Vita Gin
Ambitious does not begin to cover it. Aureus Vita is made using the Fibonacci-Hall Method, which applies the Golden Ratio to every stage of production, from still geometry to botanical extraction and final ABV. Produced once a year to align with the new juniper harvest, it introduces baobab alongside a tightly guarded botanical list. It’s a product that sounds gimmicky to some. But it avoids such troubled waters to sail into officially delicious territory thanks to its silky but pronounced texture and rich flavour.
How about that for a bottle?
Cygnet 77 Gin
Sustainable luxury. Now, there’s a concept. Cygnet 77 begins life as Cygnet 22 Welsh Dry Gin before spending 12 months in Welsh whisky casks, alongside the addition of manuka honey. Bottled in a striking decanter designed to weigh up to 50% less than standard glass, this is a gin intended for slow sipping. The Dragon’s Negroni awaits.
