Party time: winners celebrate at the awards

Isle of Harris Distillers was named Scottish Gin Distillery of the Year at a near sell-out celebration in Glasgow.

More than 600 guests gathered to celebrate Scotland’s biggest spirits competition and to hear who was crowned as winners in 18 categories. 

The mission of Isle of Harris is to create a “social distillery” bringing jobs and increasing tourism to the island. It fought off competition from four other distilleries to win the award.

However, St Andrews-based Eden Mill won the most awards, collecting five, including the ultimate taste award in the competition, the Gin of the Year. 

Eden Mill’s Original Gin triumphed in the highly competitive London Dry gin category fending off 30 other gins before going on to win the judges’ prize for best gin in the overall competition. 

Eden Mill also won business awards for Excellence in Marketing and Export and a bronze medal for its Oak Gin in the Cask/Aged Gin of the Year. 

Other big winners were Edinburgh Gin who took the title for Growth Business and Innovation of the Year for Edinburgh Gin 1670, a collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh.

It won silver and bronze taste medals for its Cannonball Navy Strength gin and its Pomegranate and Rose liqueur. 

Alloa-based Boe Gin won three medals gold, silver and bronze its Boe Scottish Bramble Liqueur, Boe Scottish and Peach & Hibiscus liqueur respectively. 

McQueen Gin from Callander also enjoyed success for its unique flavoured gins, winning gold for Mocha Gin in the speciality category and bronze for Spiced Chocolate Orange gin.

Chairman of the judging panel, Alex Bruce, managing director of Adelphi Distillery commented; “Congratulations to all the Scottish distilleries and supporting companies who have won at the Scottish Gin Awards. The Scottish gin sector can be very proud.  These medals will help retain our precious reputation as a global centre in the production of high-quality spirits. 

“With a phenomenal 80 Scottish gins in the finals and 18 taste medal winners presented, the results will provide winning distilleries with a real boost in advance of the busy Christmas season. For the discerning gin drinker, these awards provide welcome guidance when choosing from the large range of Scottish gin now on the market.”  

Awards were also presented to recognise the growing number of gin bars and destinations across the country, with The Craftsman Company in Aberdeen winning Best Gin Bar of the Year, and Crafty Distillery in Newton Stewart, Dumfries & Galloway taking the title of Best Gin Destination of the Year for its distillery and visitor experiences. 

The competition founded and operated by PR and Events company, KDMedia, launched for a second year in February and conducted a Scotland-wide search for the best gins and gin businesses.

In the taste sessions, 116 Scottish gins were scored by 22 judges in a blind tasting adjudicated by the international sensory management consultancy, Cara Technology.  Eighty gins progressed to the finals with the top three performers awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in each of six categories.  There was a 53% increase in the number of gins entered in the competition this year compared to last year.

The awards which are now a firm fixture in the spirits sector in Scotland also raised funds for Edinburgh based charity, It’s Good 2 Give, which last year opened a world class respite home named The Ripple Retreat in the Trossachs for families who have children with cancer. 

THE WINNERS IN FULL:

Scottish Gin Distillery of the Year sponsored by The Scottish Gin Society

Winner: Isle of Harris Distillers

Finalists:
Eden Mill

Edinburgh Gin

Glasgow Distillery Company

McQueen Gin

Gin of the Year sponsored by Vetroelite UK

Winner:  Original Gin, Eden Mill

THE TASTE AWARDS

London Dry Gin of the Year sponsored by Franklin & Sons 

Gold medal:  Original Gin, Eden Mill

Silver Medal:  Boe Scottish Gin, Boe Gin
Bronze Medal:  Crossbill 100% Highland, Crossbill Distilling

Finalists:
Caorunn Gin Master’s Cut, Balmenach Distillery

Caorunn Small Batch Scottish Gin, Balmenach Distillery

Wild Island Botanic Gin Distillers Cut, Colonsay Beverages

Sea Glass Gin, Deerness Distillery

1670, Edinburgh Gin

Granite North Spirits, Granite North Spirits

Bardowie Gin, Hazell & Hazell

Edinburgh Gin Original Gin, Ian Macleod Distillers

Isle of Harris Gin, Isle of Harris Distillers

Leith Gin, Leith Still Room

LinGin, Linlithgow Distillery

NB Gin, NB Distillery

Ginerosity , Spirits for Good

Stirling Gin, Stirling Spirit Co

Pickering’s Gin, Summerhall Distillery

Pickering’s Gin with Scottish Botanicals, Summerhall Distillery

Garden Shed Gin, The Garden Shed Drinks Company

Oro, The Oro Distilling Co.

McQueen Super Premium Dry Gin, Trossachs Distillery

Verdant Dry Gin, Verdant Spirits

Colonsay Gin, Wild Thyme Spirits

Distilled Gin of the Year sponsored by ALDI

Gold medal:  Misty Isle Gin, Isle of Skye Distillers
Silver Medal:  Persie Dog Days Gin, Persie Distillery
Bronze Medal:  Hills & Harbour Gin, Crafty Distillery

Finalists:
Badachro Gin, Badachro Distillery

Still River Dee, Deeside Distillery

Thompson Bros Organic Highland Gin, Dornoch Distillery Company

Scottish Rugby Gin, Eden Mill

El:gin Scottish Small Batch, El:gin Distillery

Edinburgh Gin Valentine’s Gin, Ian Macleod Distillers

Tommy’s Gin, Isle of Skye Distillers

The Teasmith Original, Teasmith

eeNoo, The Lost Loch Distillery

Arcturus, The Torridon & Dunnet Bay Distillery

Navy Strength Gin of the Year sponsored by Cara Technology

Gold medal:  Still River Uncut, Deeside Distillery
Silver Medal:  Arkh-Angell Storm Strength Edition, Orkney Distilling
Bronze Medal:  Edinburgh Gin Cannonball Gin, Ian Macleod Distillers

Finalists:
Badachro Gin 57* North, Badachro Distillery
Crossbill 200 Single Specimen Juniper, Crossbill Distilling

Kinrara Estate Edition Highlander, Kinrara Distillery

Shetland Reel Up Helly Aa Gin: 2017 Edition, Shetland Distillery Company

Pickering’s Navy Strength Gin, Summerhall Distillery

Gin Liqueur of the Year sponsored by Foodies Magazine

Gold medal:  Boe Scottish Bramble Gin Liqueur, Boe Gin
Silver Medal:  Pomegranate & Rose Gin Liqueur, Edinburgh Gin
Bronze Medal:  Boe Peach & Hibiscus Gin Liqueur, Boe Gin

Finalists:
Strawberry & Black Pepper Gin Liqueur, Eden Mill

El:gin Moray Berry, El:gin Distillery

Moray Mocha, El:gin Distillery

Redcastle Raspberry & Pomegranate Scottish Gin Liqueur, Redcastle Spirits

Cask Gin of the Year sponsored by Wolffe

Gold medal:  Makar Cask Aged Gin Matured in Mulberry Wood, Glasgow Distillery Company
Silver Medal:  Pickering’s Islay Oak Aged Gin, Summerhall Distillery
Bronze Medal:  Oak Gin, Eden Mill

Finalists:
Crossbill Pineapple PX Cask Aged, Crossbill Distilling

Firkin Oak Cask Aged, Gleann Mor Spirits

Makar Cask Aged Gin Matured in Oak, Glasgow Distillery Company

Speciality Gin of the Year sponsored by Bruce Stevenson Insurance Brokers

Gold medal:  McQueen Mocha Gin, McQueen Gin

Silver Medal:  Shetland Reel Simmer Gin, Shetland Distillery Company

Bronze Medal:  McQueen Spiced Chocolate Orange Gin, McQueen Gin

Finalists:
Crossbill American Red, Crossbill Distilling

Still River Spiced Plum, Deeside Distillery

El:gin Gin-gle Gin, El:gin Distillery

Esker Honey Spiced Gin, Esker Spirits

Gunshot, Gin Bothy

Glasgow Distillery Double Cherry Single Batch Series, Glasgow Distillery Company

Kinrara Estate Edition Hibiscus Gin, Kinrara Distillery

Firkin Old Tom, Leith Still Room

Firkin Rosie, Leith Still Room

Firkin Yuletide Old Tom, Leith Still Room

Something Blue, McLean’s Gin

Johnsmas, Orkney Gin Company

Mikkelmas, Orkney Gin Company

Devil’s Staircase, Pixel Spirits

Eden Mill Hop Gin, Eden Mill

Mallow and Geranium, The Old Curiosity Distillery

McQueen Raspberry and White Chocolate, McQueen Gin

McQueen Smokey Chilli, McQueen Gin

McQueen Chocolate Mint, McQueen Gin

BUSINESS AWARDS

Growth Business of the Year sponsored by Blackadders

Winner:  Edinburgh Gin

Finalists:
Colonsay Beverages

Huffman’s

No. 18 (The Gin Fayre)

McQueen Gin

Best Newcomer sponsored by Scotland Food & Drink

Winner:  Beinn an Tuirc Distillers

Highly Commended:  Crafty Scottish Distillers

Finalists:
Badachro Distillery

Dornoch Distillery Company

Isle of Skye Distillers

Kinrara Distillery

The Old Curiosity Distillery

The Oro Distilling Co.

Innovation of the Year sponsored by Rankin Brothers & Sons

Winner:  Edinburgh Gin – 1670

Finalists:
Arbikie Highland Estate

Crafty Scottish Distillers

Eden Mill

Isle of Skye Distillers

The Gin Spa

The Old Curiosity Distillery

McQueen Gin

Exporter of the Year sponsored by Forth Ports

Winner:  Eden Mill

Finalists:
Dornoch Distillery Company

NB Distillery

Excellence in Marketing sponsored by Orb Group

Winner:  Eden Mill

Finalists:
Craft56°

Deeside Distillery and Brewery

True OriGINs, The Scottish Gin Festival

The Teasmith Spirit Company

Best Marketing Campaign sponsored by KimiaUK

Winner:  Persie Distillery

Finalists:
Caorunn, Balmenach Distillery

Crafty Scottish Distillers

Excellence in Branding sponsored by McLaren Packaging

Winner:  Electric Spirit Co.

Finalists:
Beinn an Tuirc Distillers

Crafty Scottish Distillers

Deerness Distillery

Eden Mill

Esker Spirits

Glasgow Distillery Company

The Garden Shed Drinks Company

The Lost Loch Distillery

The Oro Distilling Co.

The Teasmith Spirit Company

The Torridon

Wild Thyme Spirits

Scottish Gin Destination of the Year

Winner:  Crafty Scottish Distillers, Newton Stewart, Dumfries & Galloway

Finalists:
Crossbill Distilling, Glasgow

Eden Mill, Guardbridge, St Andrews

Isle of Harris Distillers, Isle of Harris

Summerhall Distillery, Edinburgh

The Gin Spa, Glasgow

Scottish Gin Bar of the Year sponsored by TLT

Winner:  The Craftsman Company, Aberdeen

Finalists:
Cheers Café Bar, Fraserburgh

Gin71, Glasgow

One Square, Edinburgh

The Spiritualist, Glasgow

Scottish Gin Event of the Year sponsored by Blue Parrot

Winner:  The Gin Fayre (No. 18)

Finalists:
Meet the Maker Crossbill Gin

True OriGINs, The Scottish Gin Festival

Orkney Gin Festival 2018, Orkney Distilling

Stirling Gin Festival, Stirling Spirit Co

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