Gin taste test: a review of some of the best craft gins in India today

Fullarton Distilleries’ Pumori is named after the majestic 7,000-metre mountain in Nepal.

Craft gin has got an inordinate amount of press in India of late, but unless you happen to be based out of Goa, where most of these gins are made, it is tough to get your hands on one - and find out what they actually taste like. With a little help from drinks consultancy firm Tulleeho, we sourced a bunch of the new craft gins and put them through a taste test. Here’s how it went.

The Juniper Bomb is Greater Than’s bouncier avatar. The founders of Nao Spirits, which launched the original in 2017, stumbled upon the recipe on a rainy night when the electricity played truant and led to the juniper berries seeping for a lot longer than they had planned. That serendipitous find made its way into a bottle late last year as the Juniper Bomb, which is now available in Mumbai as well.

The gin lives up to its name—in an engaging, zesty manner. The nose is fresh and powerful—and obviously very juniper-y, with hints of orange peel and lemon grass. The mouthfeel is crisp, and, while the gin goes great with a bitter tonic, we like to have it with just a splash of water and an orange garnish.

Nilgiris ⠀⠀

Amrut Distilleries’ first ever gin is inspired by the bounty of spices in the Nilgiris. It uses, apart from juniper, betel leaf, mace, cinnamon and tea leaves. Amrut says that the betel leaf, sourced from in and around Mysore, adds a mellow spiciness to the gin. 

Warm and spicy on the nose, notes of the betel leaf are especially evident. Nilgiris has an oily palate of nutmeg, juniper berries, paan leaf, citrus, and a surprise finish of brewed tea.

If you like your gin spicy, you’d want to make space in your home bar for Fullarton Distilleries’ Pumori. Named after the majestic 7,000-metre mountain in Nepal, Pumori uses juniper berries from the Himalayas, orange peel, liquorice, and almond, among others.

Pumori has a citrusy aroma, with undertones of cardamom and juniper. It’s elegantly juniper-forward on the palate with hints of liquorice, and has a spicy aftertaste.

Made in Behror, Rajasthan, by the India Craft Spirit Company, Terai is inspired by India’s “feasts and celebrations but draws from this history without being exotically Indian.” The recipe for the London Dry-style gin’s recipe was developed with the help of Singapore-based alcobev experts Proof & Company.

Samsara, launched by alcobev collective Spaceman Spirits Lab, is a classic London Dry gin big on storytelling, and aims to be a “contemporary luxury brand for millennials.” The gin uses 11 botanicals, including organic hemp seeds.

Samsara is spicy on the nose and has a viscous mouthfeel. One also encounters floral notes, and it makes for a pretty neat sipping gin best enjoyed with a slice of ginger.

Launched by Peak Spirits internationally last year—an India launch is on the cards—the copper pot-distilled Jin Jiji is an ‘Indian dry gin’ that employs numerous botanicals, including cashew and chamomile, and is also available in a Darjeeling variant that uses FTGFOP -1 (Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe) grade tea and features here.

Expect refreshing aromas— pine-y, woody, citrusy notes—and subtle echoes of tea on the nose. Jin Jiji Darjeeling is pretty juniper-forward and has a weighty mouthfeel from the cashew nut and prominent baking spice, and there’s juicy ginger at the end.

Read more: The gin makers of Goa