With a significant growth in the number of distilleries producing gins there are now a growing number of gin styles and tastes that people are asked to navigate. Gin-Note™ is designed to help brands to communicate the unique characteristics of their gins.
Tanqueray Nº TEN Gin
Gin-Note.com™ flavour guidance
Elegant and Citrus
A Fresh Citrus Heart gin, made in small batches crafted using fresh citrus fruits
Ideal mixer: Premium tonic
Recommended garnish: A slice of pink grapefruit
Ideal serve: Tanqueray Nº Ten & Tonic
Beefeater 24 Gin
Gin-Note.com™ flavour guidance
Impressive and Refined
Beefeater 24 London Gin is delicately influenced by the addition of grapefruit peel and green teas to the classic Beefeater recipe.
Ideal mixer: Classic tonic
Recommended garnish: A sophisticated and modern interpretation to inspire top mixologists around the world to create contemporary cocktails.
Ideal serve: G&T or a flavour forward Martini
The Gin Guild flavour guidance is designed to allow consumers, retailers and others to benefit from access, across a wide range of gins, to a standard flavour summary of each of those gin brands, prepared by a brand themselves using a fixed and consistent framework, along side their own branding descriptions, to inform and educate and guide those seeking to explore the category.
It aims to create a working and consistent categorisation that on the one hand allows brand owners to readily define their gin within prescribed parameters allowing description and differentiation from the proud distillers themselves, other than merely selling based on pure marketing ‘puff’ or (even) just based on bottle design, and, on the other hand, allows consumers, retailers and others, an improved ability to better gauge the flavour profile of a gin product, regardless of botanical content or production methodology.
It’s by far the most sensible consumer confidence tool I’ve seen for gin yet, and I’d like us to give it full-throated support.
Unsolicited comment from a multi-award winning gin brand owner
The guidance has been designed to allow a uniform method of description for products choosing to use the template and would be prepared by brands themselves by using the fixed and consistent framework, alongside their own branding descriptions, to inform, educate and guide those seeking to explore the category. The significant growth in the number of distilleries producing gins means that there are now a growing and often confusing number of gin styles and tastes to navigate.
Submit a Gin-Note™ – Members Submit a Gin-Note™ – PublicThe approach proposed is a combination of a simple graphic and text. It is designed to allow consumers, retailers and bar owners to benefit from a consistent approach to describing taste and flavour in gin. Given the variety of botanicals used in gin, consumers face the challenge of making an informed choice of what to drink. It is hoped that Gin–Note will give those consuming their products a greater chance to appreciate and enjoy their creations, as too often consumers, without being given sufficient information, are left to buy gin merely based on bottle design.
Examples from Ginposium 2023 – Asian Gins:
DOJA Gin
Gin-Note.com™ flavour guidance
Elegant and Perfumed
An intense infusion of Japanese forest leaves and wood chips with undertones of warming cardamom and yuzu
Ideal mixer: Classic tonic
Recommended garnish: Slice of fresh pink grapefruit
Ideal serve: Premium tonic and a dash of fresh orange or pink grapefruit juice. For the explorers, Doja makes excellent dry Martinis and gin sours
Peddler’s Shanghai Gin
Gin-Note.com™ flavour guidance
Refined and Resinous
Inspired by the world’s biggest trading port, Peddlers Gin uses a blend of Western and the Far East botanicals.
Ideal mixer: Mediterranean Tonic
Recommended garnish: Lemon and pink peppercorn
Ideal serve: G&T
Tanglin Singapore Asian Craft Gin
Gin-Note.com™ flavour guidance
Impressive and Quirky
The vibrant flavours of traditional Asian ingredients like Young Ginger and Makrut Lime Leaves are expertly distilled with Chilli, Cassia,
Ideal mixer: Classic tonic
Archipelago Botanical Gin
Gin-Note.com™ flavour guidance
Elegant and Citrus
ARC Botanical Gin is crafted from a rare and wonderful blend of 28 exotic botanicals, 22 of which are foraged from across the Philippines.
Ideal mixer: Light Tonic
Recommended garnish: Juniper berries, pomelo slice
Ideal serve: Gin & Tonic
Saigon Baigur Dry Gin
Gin-Note.com™ flavour guidance
Impressive and Spice
Inspired by Vietnamese spice flavour. Outspoken at the start, complex spices in the middle, ending in the smooth finish.
Ideal mixer: Classic tonic
Recommended garnish: lemon & thyme
Ideal serve: Gin & tonic
Hapusa Himalayan Dry Gin
Gin-Note.com™ flavour guidance
Smooth and Earthy
Pine forest and wildflowers on the nose with a bold earthiness on the palate and a long, delicately smoked, finish.
Ideal mixer: Classic tonic
Recommended garnish: Holy Basil / Mint
Ideal serve: Frozen, Straight up
Ki No Tea Kyoto Dry Gin
Gin-Note.com™ flavour guidance
Delicate and Creamy
Strong, sweet green tea flavours joined by subtle juniper and yuzu with a creamy mouthfeel.
Ideal mixer: Mizuwari
Ideal serve: Serve 50/50 with chilled mineral water or soda water over cubed ice
Iron Balls Gin
Gin-Note.com™ flavour guidance
Nuanced and Citrus
An unconventional Gin born in Bangkok, with local ingredients, it took two year to find the perfect formulae, then Iron Balls was born.
Ideal mixer: Classic tonic
Recommended garnish: A slice of pineapple and basil
Ideal serve: Gin & Tonic
The delegates who saw the presentation and engaged in the panel session that followed (assisted by draft partially complete examples of the application in practice for some of the new products that formed part of a new brand tasting session). It was recognised that Gin-Note could provide a real opportunity to inform and add to a brands sales support at the point of purchase and as support to explanations at tastings and trade presentations.
Please refer to the filmed sessions on the website. There is very little time, at the point of sale to communicate the virtues of a brand. The Gin-Note proposal attempts to provide a consistent and appealing way to do so, in the critical area of taste. For brands it means that people can explore flavour with a proper expectation of what the gin delivers. For retailers it will reduce the disappointment for consumers who buy a gin without fully understanding what it tastes like, and get it home to discover that it is not to their liking.
Gin-Note graphic gives a clear visual lead, enhanced with identification of signature botanicals. Additional words are intended to give an instant view of intensity, and an encapsulated brand proposition.
Gin-Note consists of the following parts:
- Gin-Note™ graphic visual – a visual representation of the general characteristics of a gin (scored by the brand concerned); read together with
- Brand Description – a 20 word brand supplied free-hand prose description of a gin, allowing the brand to provide a more detailed picture, using their established brand message; and
- Two words (selected by the brand itself from a list/template of recognised and standard keywords) allowing mouth-feel/palate/intensity to be reflected, so as to provide users with a complete picture of the gin.
Please explore the various gin brands shown on our site. We hope Gin-Note is of assistance and welcome feedback and comment via gingraphicfeedback@theginguild.com
How do I get a Gin Note™ for my Gin?
All Gin-Note submissions are via the Gin-Note™ dashboard. All brand owning Gin Guild Members receive at least one complimentary Gin-Note entry. Founder and Warden members are eligible to have all their gins listed with a Gin-Note™ entry (and need to notify the Guild as to who is to be the nominated Gin-Note™ administrator). Rectifier Guild members receive one complimentary Gin-Note™ entry.
Is Gin-Note™ available to Non-members?
Yes, Gin-Note™ is available to gin producers who are not yet part of The Gin Guild. Each Gin-Note™ is provided on an annual licence basis and is charged at £525 +VAT. This includes the provision of the graphic elements for use in marketing materials, on bottles and elsewhere. After a successful Gin-Note™ application is made by a non-member an invoice is issued via our online portal, and after the payment is received we publish your Gin-Note™ resources.
Submit a Gin-Note™ entry now