The best Irish whiskey to buy 2025, taste tested
Read our expert review of the best Irish whiskey to buy. Find grain, single malt and single pot still varieties in our list of top buys.
There are currently a huge swathe of Irish whiskies out there reinventing, challenging, subverting, defying or simply exceeding the stereotype of the spirit only being suitable as a shot or chaser. Irish whiskey has had a turbulent history of highs and lows, but today the Irish whiskey industry is undoubtedly exciting. From big Irish whiskey brands such as Bushmills to small new distilleries, drinks expert Richard Davies has taste tested and reviewed the best Irish whiskies on the market in-depth in order to find the best whiskies to buy for you. The classic flavours and qualities associated with Irish whiskey are of a light, smooth spirit that still retains complexity and depth. You will often find fruit, especially apple, banana and pear. Vanilla, cinnamon, black pepper and nutmeg all pop up amongst the spicy edges. The sweetness can vary from very light to rich and dark. Quite often the whiskey will have a mouth-coating oiliness far greater than the spirit’s heft might suggest. The one thing you will very rarely find in Irish whiskey is smoke or peat. Connemara is a notable exception, and other distilleries have put out peated whiskies, but it is not a common feature. Our drinks expert Richard Davies is a writer, barman and brewer with roots in home-brewing. With Miriam Nice, he co-wrote The Art of Drinking Sober. When he's not making his own beer and cocktails, he works at award-winning micro pub The Beer Shop. The perfect bottle of Irish whiskey is excellent sipped neat, but we’ve got plenty of whiskey recipes to help you use it up too. Try a classic old fashioned or Irish coffee, stir up decadent homemade Irish cream with plenty of dulce de leche or shake a quirky Brown Derby with grapefruit juice and honey. For more, visit our reviews section to find more than 400 practical buyer's guides, including taste tests of the best gin, vodka, rum and brandy, plus round-ups of the best whiskies from around the world including best English whiskies, best Japanese whiskies or best American bourbon. We’ve also tested the best whisky subscriptions and found the best whiskies to buy as gifts. Best Irish whiskey at a glance Best introduction to Irish whiskey: Redbreast 12-year-old single pot still Irish whiskey, £55.99 Best blended Irish whiskey for mixed drinks: Lambay Small Batch Blend, £39.47 Best peated Irish whiskey: Two Stacks Smoke & Mirrors whiskey, £39.95 Best vintage single pot under £75: Powers John’s Lane, £60.95 Best experimental Irish whiskey: Waterford The Cuvée, £66.50 Best Irish whiskey for Bourbon devotees: Glendalough Double Barrel Irish whiskey, £31.25 Best Irish whiskey for Scotch single malt fans: That Boutique-y Whisky Company Irish single malt #1, £58.95 Best Irish single malt under £50: Bushmills 10-year-old single malt whiskey, £39.50 Best vintage single pot still Irish whiskey under £100: Redbreast 15-year-old single still whiskey, £99.95 Best Irish whiskey for lovers of big sherried finishes: Egan's Fortitude single malt, £45.74 Best Irish whiskey for rum lovers: Teelings Small Batch whiskey, £36.25 Best Irish whiskey under £50: Green Spot single pot still whiskey, £47.75 Jump to: Best Irish whiskey to buy How we tested Irish whiskey Whisky and whiskey: what’s the difference? A history of Irish whiskey What is Irish whiskey made from? How to drink Irish whiskey? Irish whiskey cocktail recipes Best Irish whiskey to buy 2025 Redbreast 12-year-old single pot still Irish whiskey Available from Waitrose Cellar (£57), The Whisky Exchange (£62.50), Master of Malt (£55.99) Best introduction to Irish whiskey Star rating: 4.5/5 Size: 70cl ABV: 40% Although the Redbreast 15-year-old, 21-year-old and those aged for even longer are particularly well-renowned amongst critics and afficionados, the flagship Redbreast 12-year-old is comparatively overlooked. With written records dating back to 1912 (although the whiskey was almost definitely available much earlier), the Redbreast 12-year-old is the oldest expression from the brand, produced at the famous Midleton Distillery, distilled from malted and un-malted barley then matured in a combination of American oak bourbon barrels and Spanish oak Oloroso sherry butts. While Redbreast 12-year-old still has a premium price tag, it’s an absolute perfect introduction to Irish whiskey, epitomising the spirit of single pot still Irish whiskey. Baking spices such as clove and cinnamon are prominent on the nose, joined by some typical vanilla from the oak and soft hints of toffee and almond. Vanilla continues slightly on the palate, which gives the whiskey a slight bourbon character, although joined by more of those warming baking spice notes, dried fruit, just a whisper of chocolate and some sherry character which contribute to a flavour redolent of Christmas cake. Alongside the rich, oily mouthfeel from the single pot still, what’s particularly notable is the smooth, buttery finish that lingers and begs you to take another sip. Available from: Waitrose Cellar (£57) The Whisky Exchange (£62.50) Master of Malt (£55.99) Lambay Small Batch Blend Available from The Whisky Exchange (£40.95), Master of Malt (£39.47) Best blended Irish whiskey for mixed drinks Star rating: 3.5/5 Size: 70cl ABV: 40% Lambay launched as an Irish whiskey brand in 2017. Like many newer outfits in Irish whiskey, Lambay do not currently distil their own spirit, instead sourcing it from other Irish distilleries. The Small Batch Blend caught our attention. The Small Batch Blend is intriguing, as although it hits many of the archetypal Irish whiskey touchpoints with a light, smooth and sweet framework, the balance of flavours veer a little out of what I would expect. The impact of the cognac finish and the sea air (Lambay is the largest island off Ireland) is restrained, but still give this Lambay something a little unusual. On the nose, it comes across light and delicate and on the palate, it is again light: the sweetness of very pale malt and a hint of marshmallow, baked fruit, the spiciness of vanilla and pepper. The finish runs with the sweetness, and as it fades out some of that spiciness remains, bracketed with a hint of salt and the nuttiness going over to a light woody dryness. Read our full review of the Lambay Small Batch Blend Whiskey. Available from: The Whisky Exchange (£40.95) Master of Malt (£39.47) Two Stacks Smoke & Mirrors whiskey Available from The Whisky Exchange (£39.95), Master of Malt (£39.95) Best peated Irish whiskey Star rating: 4.5/5 Size: 70cl ABV: 40% As a new operation, Two Stacks act as blenders, with a keen eye to what finishing in an unexpected cask can do to an already aged whiskey. The Smoke & Mirrors whiskey shines a light on peat, which is under-represented in Irish whiskey. The whiskey is a lighter gold than a turn in a stout barrel might suggest. On the nose, there’s a good hit of peat and roast coffee, then a softer chocolate note. To drink, the smoke and roasty side are more delicate than expected, the creaminess allies with the chocolate, as the fruit tends toward baked and luscious while vanilla, clove and cinnamon spicing add interest. The finish is more smooth chocolate, coffee roastiness and dark dried fruit as the smoke lingers on awhile. Highly enjoyable, this is a delightful Irish whiskey with enough depth to marry happily to a goodly peat side and have neither side lose out. Read our full review of Two Stacks Smoke & Mirrors Whiskey. Available from: The Whisky Exchange (£39.95) Master of Malt (£39.95) Powers John’s Lane Available from The Whisky Exchange (£60.95) Best vintage single pot still under £75 Star rating: 4.5/5 Size: 70cl ABV: 40% Powers is one of the great historic names in Irish whiskey, established in Dublin in 1791 and as synonymous in its day with the spirit as Jamesons is now. The John’s Lane is a twelve year old single pot still whiskey. Just by its very name – the address of their old Dublin distillery – the John’s Lane evokes heritage. It pours a pleasing rich, coppery gold in the glass. On the nose, it’s all classic pot still signifiers - smooth honeyed malt, rich apple and banana, vanilla, some cinnamon and then a little tobacco and fruit cake. On the palate, it builds from the nose, with more dried fruit, intense honeyed sweetness, hints of coffee and a full, oily mouthfeel. The finish continues awhile, the spice and sweetness letting in more coffee, and then a little wood tannin at the end. This is an excellent example of what a classic single pot still whiskey can do. For a perfect serve, take it as is and give time to experience the flavours. Read the full review of Powers John's Lane whiskey. Available from: The Whisky Exchange (£60.95) Waterford The Cuvée Available from The Great Wine Co (£66.50) Best experimental Irish whisky Star rating: 4.5/5 Size: 70cl ABV: 50% Waterford Distillery launched in 2015 with a focus on proving the impact of terroir on creating exceptional whiskies. Founder Mark Reynier recruited nearly a hundred barley farmers across South-East Ireland to build up a patchwork of varying terroir, barley varieties and cultivation methods. The Cuvées are built from the breadth of whiskies now available to Waterford, in the manner of winemakers. As it stands it is both a very fine, complex whisky and also a window into the shape of releases to come. There is definitely still a slightly young spirit character to The Cuvée, but even so there is much to enjoy. On the nose you get lots of spice - ginger, vanilla and pepper, a light barley character, floral notes and a touch of lemon. The palate brings in fresh mint, lots of pepper and then some chocolate notes, biscuity sweetness and ginger on an oily mouthfeel. There’s an intensity to the finish, with pepper and then some oak drying out the floral honeyed sweetness leaving the original cereal note. Read our full review of Waterford the Cuvée. Available from: The Great Wine Co (£66.50) Glendalough Double Barrel Irish whiskey Available from The Whisky Exchange (£31.25), Master of Malt (£31.25), Hard to Find Whisky (£34.95) Best Irish whiskey for Bourbon devotees Star rating: 4/5 Size: 70cl ABV: 42% While this hits a lot of the notes you’d expect from an Irish whiskey, there’s a real kinship with American whiskies to the Double Barrel, and as such it strikes us a perfect introduction to Irish whiskey for a fan of bourbon. The nose has vanilla, and creamy smoothness, almost chocolatey at the end. That creamy element continues into the palate, with more vanilla, dried fruit and a little coffee note all contributing to the full body and a touch of brown sugar sweetness as well. Read our full Glendalough Double Barrel review. Available from: The Whisky Exchange (£31.25) Master of Malt (£31.25) Hard to Find Whisky (£34.95) That Boutique-y Whisky Company Irish single malt #1 Available from Master of Malt (£58.95) Best Irish whiskey for Scotch single malt fans Star rating: 4.5/5 Size: 50cl ABV: 47/6% Packaging by That Boutique-y Whisky Company is always eye-catching, but this nod to Father Ted takes it to another level. Novelty packaging aside, this is a company dedicated to sourcing great whiskies that you might not be able to find elsewhere, such as ones from overlooked or now-closed distilleries. This particular batch comes from an unnamed distillery. Expect a full body and smoothness. It's fruity on the nose, which carries through to the palate, with hints of melon. Read our full That Boutique-y Whisky Company Irish single malt review. Available from: Master of Malt (£58.95) Bushmills 10-year-old single malt whiskey undefined Best Irish Single Malt under £50 Star rating: 4/5 Size: 70cl ABV: 40% A solid whiskey from a heritage brand, this is keenly priced for a spirit of this vintage. While it's a light whiskey, there's plenty going on in the flavour and aroma stakes. Expect a light-bodied sweetness and fudgey undertones, plus juicy fruits and a hint of sherry. Its lightness means it lends itself well to being used in whisky cocktails. Read our full Bushmills 10-year-old single malt whiskey review. undefined Redbreast 15-year-old single still whiskey undefined Best vintage single pot still Irish whiskey under £100 Star rating: 5/5 Size: 70cl ABV: 46% Redbreast is a respected brand in Irish whiskey and is now the biggest-selling single pot still whiskey in the world. Their 15-year-old is a pure pot still whiskey which, on the eye, is a rich deep copper. On the nose, it has a full, almost viscous air, with honeyed malt, intense spices, dried fruit and gentle woody notes that fade into creamy vanilla. On the palate, the interplay of honey, spice, fruit and wood notes carry on. A touch of water in the glass opens it up. Read our full Redbreast 15-year-old whiskey review. undefined Egan's Fortitude single malt Available from Master of Malt (£45.74) Best Irish whiskey for lovers of big sherried finishes Star rating: 4/5 Size: 70cl ABV: 46% A single malt whiskey with no age statement, Fortitude has been aged exclusively in Pedro Ximenéz barrels – a bold statement. It would be hard to pretend this was anything other than a bit of a beast, and as such it won’t be to everyone’s taste. That said, if you want a big, brooding whiskey that can really make itself felt, this is a pleasing change. For a perfect serve, this just needs a single ice cube to give you a few different aspects to consider as you sip it slowly. The whiskey has a full gold colour to it and a swirl of the glass present legs that almost refuse to form, a hint of how full this whiskey is. The nose is immense. On the palate, it continues as a big, hefty beast. There’s a lot going on, with wood, fruity tannins, more leather and savoury notes over a smooth, incredibly oily consistency with a redolence of dark chocolate. Again, the more traditional Irish characteristics take a while to emerge, but are still there. It finishes long, with the honey sweetness asserting itself. Adding some water dials the intensity down and allows the apple, light honey and spice of the whiskey more time to shine, should that be your preference. Read our full Egan's Fortitude whiskey review. Available from: Master of Malt (£45.74) Teelings Small Batch whiskey undefined Best Irish whiskey for rum lovers Star rating: 4/5 Size: 70cl ABV: 46% Like rum? This complex whiskey has flavour notes that will feel familiar thanks to the spirit spending six months aging in Central American rum casks. The aroma features vanilla, soft fudge, toffee and brown sugar, the finish has a woody note that keeps all that sweetness in check. This one is a great contender for serving in a classic Irish coffee. Read our full Teelings Small Batch review. undefined Green Spot single pot still whiskey undefined Best Irish Whiskey under £50 Star rating: 5/5 Size: 70cl ABV: 40% Green Spot is a classic single pot still whiskey, lacking an age statement but believed to be comprised of seven-to-10-year-old whiskies. The colour is a pale gold, and the nose is light but rich. There's sweet barley and a vanilla creaminess to the aroma, with a pleasing viscosity on the palate. This is a delightful introduction to single pot still whiskey, coming at the lower end of the price scale to its peers, without sacrificing either complexity or drinking pleasure. Read our full Green Spot single pot still whiskey review. undefined How we tested Irish whiskey All our best Irish whiskies were carefully taste tested to assess the aroma, taste, mouthfeel and finish. Whilst Irish whiskey has a stereotypical reputation for being "smooth", there is a huge amount more to them than this and we wanted to highlight the complexity and nuance of some bottles, as well as those whiskies pushing against being pigeonholed by such terms. In addition, we look at whiskies across a broad range and considered how they would best be drunk - what is ideal for a vivacious highball may not be ideal for a contemplative sipper. Whiskey vs whisky: what’s the difference? There are two parts to the differences between Irish and Scotch whiskies. The first part is the differing spellings of "whiskey" and "whisky" – caused by different translations in Scotalnd and Ireland from the root word in Gaelic. The 'e' in whiskey is also a relic of the 19th century, when Irish whiskey was a far larger and more reputable product than Scotch whisky, so the 'e' was a way to signal to drinkers all which country's spirit you were getting. The second difference is in the regulations and traditions that define what may call itself an Irish whiskey or a Scotch whisky. Obviously, Irish whiskey must be made and aged in Ireland (both the Republic and Northern Ireland), with a minimum of three years spent in wooden casks. It is common - but not required - that Irish whiskey be distilled three times, which lightens and smooths the spirit. The slight contrast here is that the Scotch regulations specify oak as the wood for their casks, and double distillation is the norm. Peated barley (barley malted over peat, imparting a smoky flavour) is also more a familiar aspect of the flavour profile in Scotch, especially those from Islay. Lastly, while a single malt whisky is the archetypal form for Scotch, the Irish focus on Single Pot Still, which makes a virtue of the mixture of malted and unmalted barley that goes into it. A history of Irish whiskey Irish whiskey, despite having been a more popular and prestigious spirit in its golden age than Scotch whisky, did not have the best time of the mid-20th century. Now though, there are a profusion of both invigorated old brands and exciting new entrants to the market, all seeking to rectify our ignorance of what its adherents claim is the original whisk(e)y. Firstly, the Irish claim to have been making whiskey before everyone else. This is based on a note dating to 1405 in the Annals of Clonmacnoise, about the head of a clan who died after ‘taking a surfeit of aqua vitae’ at Christmas. The earliest Scottish record of distilled spirits apparently dates to a tardy 1494. Hibernian-Caledonian bragging rights aside, this is of less interest than the fact that Irish whiskey was, by the late nineteenth century, absolutely massive. Like with beer, whiskey scaled well to the possibilities of the industrial revolution and it was the Irish who ruled the roost. In 1823 a 31,618-gallon pot still was commissioned for the Midleton Distillery in County Cork, and was so large that it required the room to be built around it. The largest pot still currently in operation today that we could find reference to is a ‘mere’ 16,498 gallons. As the Victorian era waxed, the five main distilleries in Dublin alone could produce up to 10 million gallons of spirit a year between them. The Irish whiskey boom was not just a question of scale, but also of prestige. There’s a fuller explanation in our guide to whiskey and whisky, but the fact is that the Irish didn’t want their product confused with the more parochial product from across the North Sea, adding an ‘e’ to differentiate themselves and keep the association with quality for the Irish product. Things got rather dicier in the 20th Century, however. There was the steady encroachment of lighter-bodied spirits made from column stills, which were both to the public’s taste and also more efficient to run. The post-Independence situation in the 1920s restricted access to the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, which had been a huge market for Irish whiskey. Prohibition in the United States wiped out another massive export destination for a decade, and then the Great Depression hampered things everywhere. Distilleries consolidated and merged, and by the late 1960s, you only had Irish Distillers (Jameson, Powers and Cork Distillers) based in the Republic, and Bushmills in Northern Ireland. In 1972, Bushmills joined Irish Distillers. Things perked up slowly – in the late 1980s the new, independent Cooley’s distillery opened and drinks giant Pernod Ricard picked up Irish Distillers, prompting more interest and advocacy for this august spirit and some of its surviving brands. This process has accelerated in the last two decades, with 25 operating distilleries now in Ireland (2019 figure), and more planned, as the appetite for Irish whiskey worldwide is claimed to be growing by over 15 per cent a year. What is Irish whiskey made from? What makes an Irish whiskey, and why should you be interested? Firstly, some clear legal requirements: it must be made and matured in either the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland. The maturation must be in wooden casks, and for a minimum duration of three years. These requirements are similar to Scotch, although it is not oak casks that are specified, simply wood – allowing for more experimentation. Irish whiskey can come as familiar grain or single malt whiskey, but the category that is unique to the Irish is Single Pot Still. This specifies that the spirit must be made in a pot still, rather than any other type, like a column still. To qualify for the ‘single’ part, the spirit must all be made on the same site. This can be confusing when talking about a Single Grain whiskey, which doesn’t mean it only contains one grain, just that it was made entirely on one site. Irish whiskey is usually thought of as triple-distilled, but this is not mandated by law and offers another point of variance for distillers. Irish whiskey is made from a variety of ingredients, depending on the type, but is most closely associated with the Pot Still-type, which comprises a mixture of malted and unmalted barley. As with Scotch whisky, malted barley is key, but it is the unmalted barley that sets Pot Still whiskey apart from a Single Malt. Single Pot Still whiskey is always a blend of malted and unmalted barley, with a minimum of 30% of both in the grist, and no more than 5% of any other grain included. How to drink Irish whiskey? As with all drinks, how you drink an Irish whiskey is a matter of personal preference and may change from brand to brand. Enjoy sipping your whiskey neat, or try adding a few drops of water, which can lighten the spirit and allow new subtleties to emerge. While ice might not be ‘necessary’ for very good whiskies, it is again a matter of preference whatever the bottle. When pouring over ice, use large cubes to melt more slowly in your drink. Irish whiskey makes for an interesting alternative to bourbon, rye and brandy in a lot of classic cocktails, so don't be afraid to experiment! Irish whiskey cocktail recipes When mixing, Irish whiskey is often easier to use in cocktails and long drinks than Scotch, so why not try mixing up a classic Irish coffee, a Brown Derby (/recipes/brown-derby), or an Irish Whiskey Old Fashioned. For something decadent, try making your own homemade Irish cream – a great Christmas gift. More on whiskey Whisky or whiskey – what's the difference? Our best ever whiskey cocktails Top 10 ways to cook with whiskey Best whiskey glasses Related reviews The best Irish whiskey The best Scotch The best whisky from around the world The best bourbon The best rosé The best craft whiskies All our gin taste tests The best mezcal The best rum Best whisky subscriptions and clubs What Irish whiskey do you love? Share your product suggestions with us below... This review was last updated in April 2025. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.
Flavoured with fruit such as rhubarb and raspberry, pink gin is an on-trend spirit – see the results of our taste test, plus find pink gin cocktail inspiration.
It used to be that when you ordered a pink gin, you'd get a dry gin with a splash of Angostura bitters. This was traditionally a bracing naval drink. Now, pink gin is a fruity, often sweet, aromatic drink that’s meant to be enjoyed with plenty of tonic – more Aperol spritz in nature than neat spirit. Purists may resent the change of definition, but, when done well, today's pink gin is a great addition to the range of gins available. From pale blush pink gins that use rose petals within their selected aromatics, to deeply rosy gins infused with juicy berries, or pale and tart pink grapefruit or rhubarb creations, pink gins can vary widely. You can even think of pink gins as you would think of rosé: varying in depth of colour and sweetness levels, there’s a different style to suit everyone. Read on to discover which pink gins to buy, plus find pink gin cocktail ideas. For a memorable gin gift or if you want to try something new, check out our picks of the top 5 most unusual gins we've tried, including apple crumble and seaweed gins. For more, visit our reviews section to find more than 200 practical buyers' guides, including taste tests of gin, vodka, rum and brandy, plus round-ups of the best rhubarb gins and citrus gins. Best pink gins at a glance Best raspberry pink gin: Pinkster gin, £37.62 Best old-fashioned pink gin: That Boutique-y Gin Company proper pink gin, £30.95 Best pink gin liqueur: Jawbox rhubarb and ginger gin liqueur, £26 Best Italian pink gin: Malfy gin rosa, £32 Best sweet pink gin: Whitley Neill rhubarb and ginger gin, £29.75 Best exotic pink gin: Bloom jasmine and rose gin, £34.50 Best small-batch gin: Henley Gin Rhubarb and Orange, £40 Best floral pink gin: Cotswolds No 1 Wildflower Gin, £38.50 Best pink gin for gifting: Mermaid Pink Gin, £40 Best strawberry pink gin: Warner's strawberry & rose gin, £38.50 Best affordable pink gin: Whitley Neill pink grapefruit gin, £26.49 Jump to: What is pink gin? Best pink gins to buy How we tested pink gins What is the best mixer for pink gin? Pink gin recipes What is pink gin? The term pink gin originally referred to a cocktail of gin and Angostura bitters, created by the British Navy – the Angostura bitters gave the pink hue. Angostura bitters was used as a treatment for sea sickness in the early 1800s, and the addition of gin made it more enjoyable to drink. Today, the term pink gin is more commonly used to refer normal gin that has been flavoured with fruits or aromatics to lend it a pink hue and usually extra sweetness, without adding sugar or lowering the alcohol percentage. Common flavours providing the pink hue can be berries (commonly strawberries and raspberries), rose petals or rhubarb. Pink gins can vary from subtle, pale rose-tinted tipples to bold and juicy berry gins. Best pink gins to buy 2025 Pinkster gin Latest Deals Best raspberry pink gin Size: 70cl ABV: 37.5% A second career for businessman Stephen Marsh, after he found that wine and beer no longer agreed with him, Pinkster is all about the raspberries. The core spirit is produced by G&J Distillers, and Pinkster then macerates it with three more botanicals, including those raspberries. It comes across as a more recognisably dry gin on the nose, but the juniper notes counterpoint a dominant raspberry aroma. Neat, it’s closer to a dry gin with a surprisingly light raspberry edge. A twinge of vanilla and black pepper round it out. Once mixed with tonic, that delicate raspberry element melds well and avoids the sickliness of which pink gins are often accused. Pop it into a balloon glass with loads of ice, a few fresh mint or basil leaves and some raspberries, then top with tonic. Latest Deals That Boutique-y Gin Company proper pink gin Available from Master of Malt (£30.95) Best old-fashioned pink gin Size: 50cl ABV: 46% This is a gin that uses Angostura bitters – and proudly refers to itself as “proper”. In order to keep things interesting (and, one suspects, to keep it from being seen as a mere pre-mix), That Boutique-y Gin Company vacuum distills the Angostura, then blends back in gentian tincture and lemon distillate. The gin is then finished off with a splash of colour (as the initial vacuum distillation removes the Angostora's vibrant hue). The nose is all orange and lemon, with sweet ginger, then a follow-through of juniper that’s almost oily. A neat sip hits you with a little herbal note at the beginning, followed by the interplay of the gin and Angostura aromatics with cardamom, black pepper, gentian bitterness and juniper’s clean punch, with a liquorice sweet note at the end. Dosed with tonic, the complexities have more room to shine, and the lemon notes, in particular, come through without sacrificing the spicy finish. Available from: Master of Malt (£30.95) Jawbox rhubarb and ginger gin liqueur Latest Deals Best pink gin liqueur Size: 70cl ABV: 20% Set in a 300-acre estate outside of Belfast, Jawbox is one of the brand offerings from the Echlinville Distillery, which, since its launch in 2013 has also brought out award-winning Irish whiskies, gins and poitín. This is a liqueur variant on the standard Jawbox Dry, and is the sweetest of the pink gins in this review. While only 20% ABV, it has a huge nose with rhubarb leading in a big tangy rush and ginger following far more subtly after the boiled sweet-style richness. As you'd expect from a liqueur, it's entirely suited to drinking neat, and again leads with the rhubarb giving a mouthwatering sharpness before the sweetness comes in on a rich, mouth-coating body. The ginger is quite restrained, adding warmth to a long finish. It works well with tonic, although a drier one is recommended to stop that sweetness becoming overwhelming. If drinking long, a small splash of soda gives the rhubarb and ginger space to shine. Latest Deals Malfy gin rosa Available from Waitrose Cellar (£32) Best Italian pink gin Size: 70cl ABV: 41% Malfy is produced outside of Turin at the Torino Distillati, which dates back to the early 1900s, and is distilled by the Vergnano family. The Rosa is the fourth offering from the brand, joining the original, lemon and orange varieties. The nose is a huge waft of grapefruit zest, but the Malfy distinguishes itself with a light rhubarb edge that complements the mouthwatering citrus. A neat sip shows those two again, with juniper at the end. A splash of tonic seems to increase the aromatic quality of the gin, bringing up more of the grapefruit and rhubarb, which fade out gracefully, letting the juniper come back in lightly. A delightful mixture of the balanced and the exuberant, it's perfect for long, summer evenings. Available from: Waitrose Cellar (£32) Whitley Neill rhubarb and ginger gin Available from Tesco (£29.75), Sainsbury's (£29.75) Best sweet gin Size: 70cl ABV: 43% This is, it seems to me, what people are really talking about when they discuss 'pink gin' – despite it being the only one of the bunch to lack the hue. Whitley Neill is one arm of Halewood International and counts J.J Whitley, City of London Distillery, Hawkshead Brewery and Crabbie's among its stablemates. The nose is sweet rhubarb with an orange accent and a trickle of ginger and, under that, a subtle remnant of coriander and juniper. Taken neat, it drinks lightly for its strength, with a little spirit burn behind the botanicals moderated by the sweetness. The rhubarb is still at the fore, reminiscent of rhubarb and custard sweets, with the ginger again subtle. Mixed with tonic, it makes a whole lot more sense, with the quinine balancing out that sweetshop air. You’d never mistake this for a dry gin, but then, that’s not what it's for. Available from: Tesco (£29.75) Sainsbury's (£29.75) Bloom jasmine & rose gin Available from Master of Malt (£34.50) Best exotic pink gin Size: 70cl ABV: 40% Produced by Joanne Moore, master distiller of G&J Distillers, Bloom gins are a lighter, more floral take on the spirit. This variant leads with jasmine and rose and doesn't hold back. The jasmine and rose balance well on the nose, with the former never tipping into Turkish delight sweetness and the latter adding complexity and earthing the rose. While it’s informative drunk neat, this isn’t the best way to enjoy it, as the botanicals are overwhelming. Once tonic is added, the elements cohere quite pleasingly. While there's more intensity than you might expect, the rose and jasmine give you just the floral lift you’d hope for. This is one that could do a lot in cocktails as well. Available from: Master of Malt (£34.50) Henley Gin – Rhubarb and Orange Available from The Henley Distillery (£40) Size: 70cl ABV: 42% Star rating: 5/5 Best small-batch gin When Henley Gin puts ‘small batch’ on its label, it really means it. Henley Gins are distilled in handmade 300l copper stills, heated over open flames in a Henley barn, with every batch individually created and controlled. The rhubarb and orange variety has a delicate pale pink hue and is infused with fresh hand-peeled orange zest (again explaining the ‘small batch’ focus) and tangy English rhubarb for a subtle, grown-up pink gin. It’s not just us who recommend it either: this was awarded the Masters medal in the pink gin category at the Gin Masters Awards 2021 – the highest award possible. This versatile gin works well across a variety of serves: drink tall with ice, tonic and a twist of orange peel, or with ginger ale for a classic rhubarb-ginger combination, or even lemonade if you want to boost the sweetness. For gifting, there’s also the option to purchase a personalised bottle. Available from: The Henley Distillery (£40) Cotswolds No1 Wildflower Gin Available from Ocado (£38), Master of Malt (£37.50) Best floral pink gin Size: 70cl ABV: 41.7% Star rating: 4/5 Despite it’s deep red-pink hue, this gin is infused with floral botanicals rather than the berries you might expect. It is inspired, as the name might suggest, by Cotswolds wildflowers and grassland. The London Dry gin base has essences of cornflowers, lavender, orange and rhubarb root blended into it along with a touch of sugar syrup (although it’s still a punchy 41.7% ABV), good for those who like an ever so slightly sweeter gin. Overall this produces a fruity, floral and fresh gin. The floral notes are clear on the nose, along with the orange inclusion. This pink gin would make for a super pretty spritz – think Aperol-style and add a slice of orange to finish. Available from: Ocado (£38) Master of Malt (£37.50) Mermaid Pink Gin Latest Deals Best pink gin for gifting Size: 70cl ABV: 38% Star rating: 4/5 The striking bottle of Mermaid Pink Gin makes it perfect for giving as a gift to any gin lover – but its appeal goes beyond just looks. Produced at the Isle of Wight’s only distillery, Mermaid prides itself on its local sourcing of ingredients and botanicals to make this distinctly coastal gin. Plus, the packaging is all plastic-free. The pink gin gets its colour and flavour from Isle of Wight strawberries grown in the Arreton valley. The strawberries are steeped in smooth gin for four days before being redistilled, resulting in a pink gin that remains strawberry-dominant from the initial nose throughout the palate and finish. Alongside the sweet strawberries, carefully chosen local botanicals include English coriander, locally foraged elderflower, rock samphire handpicked from the cliffs for a salty sea air edge, and boadicea hops, grown at Ventnor Botanic Gardens on the Isle of Wight. These balance out the fruity notes for a complex, well-rounded gin. Garnish with sliced strawberries or try in a spritz with sparkling rosé. Latest Deals Warner's strawberry & rose gin Available from Warner's (£38.50) Best strawberry pink gin Size: 70cl ABV: 40% Star rating: 5/5 This is one for the sweet tooths, and one we can imagine drinking all summer long. It instantly conjures up memories of long, sunny British evenings – forget strawberries and cream at Wimbledon, we’re all about this strawberry and rose gin. Some pink gins are subtly pink, or delicately flavoured. Not so this bottle. Warner Edwards proudly state that a quarter of each bottle is made of fresh strawberry juice and rose petals, which explain the deep rosy hue, too. It’s jammy and sweet on the palate with strong fragrant aromas from both the punchy berries and rose blossom notes, but we didn’t find it sickly sweet – perhaps due to the inclusion of cardamom and cinnamon as botanicals, adding gentle spice to the finish. The flavours are strong enough to make this worth sipping neat with plenty of ice, but for a refreshing summer drink serve with Mediterranean tonic (to draw out the floral notes), sliced strawberries and a spring of mint. Available from: Warner's (£38.50) Whitley Neill pink grapefruit gin Available from The Bottle Club (£26.49) Best affordable pink gin Size: 70cl ABV: 43% Star rating: 4/5 Whitley Neill gins are easy to spot on any supermarket shelf, with striking coloured bottles at affordable prices. For a straightforward pink gin to keep handy in the cupboard ready for a pink G&T, you can’t go wrong with a bottle of Whitley Neill pink grapefruit gin. Infused with Iberian pink grapefruit, the citrus burst is given a triple boost from the inclusion of sweet orange, lemon peel and lime within the aromatics. The sweet start gives way to refreshing tartness, just what we like in a pink gin. Add a thin slice of grapefruit to your G&T with this pink gin to dial up the grapefruit bitterness, or try using in cocktails to balance out sweetness. Available from: The Bottle Club (£26.49) How we tested pink gin We tested more than 15 different bottles to find our selection of the best pink gins. We tested gins neat and then mixed with tonic water. When bottles claimed a specific flavour profile, we judged them on this clearly coming through in the aroma and throughout drinking. We wanted pink gins to be well-balanced, without excessive sweetness or flavours that overwhelmed the style of the gin itself. What is the best mixer for pink gin? The best mixer for pink gin will depend both on your personal preference and the dominant flavour profiles in your chosen pink gin – how sweet the gin itself is, and whether you want to enhance this or balance it out. A classic G&T will always work well with a pink gin and you can try different tonic waters to find your perfect match – elderflower tonic performs particularly well. Dial down sweetness with simple tonic water, or increase it by mixing pink gin with lemonade (we love the raspberry gins with lemonade for a summery raspberry lemonade-inspired cocktail). Rhubarb gins work well with ginger ale for a classic flavour combination, while gin liqueurs can be enjoyed neat with ice. Pink gin recipes You can use pink gin anywhere you’d use classic gin, to add a touch of flavour and colour. Try a twist on a classic with our pink negroni recipe, or for a unique summer cocktail mix up a jug of pink gin iced tea. We’ve also got pink gin recipes to infuse your own gin itself: try homemade strawberry, raspberry or rhubarb gin. Pink gin cocktails Put your bottle to good use by making one of our favourite pink gin cocktails. Pink gin negroni Pink gin iced tea Our best pink gin cocktail ideas More pink gin cocktail recipes The best spirits, taste tested by the experts The best flavoured gin The best rhubarb gin The best gin to buy as gifts 10 must-buy bottles of gin The best sloe gin The best classic gin The best flavoured vodka The best spiced rum The best craft whiskies The best sustainable spirits to buy How to serve gin Gin cocktail ideas 10 gin and tonics with a twist 5 ways with gin and tonic How to make the best martini This review was last updated in May 2025. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk. What do you think of the pink gin trend? Is it a crude reworking of the traditional spirit, or a delicious new way to drink gin? Leave a comment below...
Best sloe gin, taste tested by experts 2025
We’ve reviewed sloe gin to bring you our best buys, from traditional bottles to modern riffs on this classic flavoured spirit. Discover the results of our taste test.
Sloe gin, that most traditional of British liqueurs, is going from strength to strength at the moment. There are producers big and small putting out excellent bottles, including some intriguing variations on the drink we think we know. Now is a great time to reacquaint yourself with the fruit of the blackthorn. Sloe gin can vary from bold, spiced, autumnal bottles to lighter, sweeter varieties. Once you've chosen your bottle, check out our selection of easy sloe gin cocktail recipes to make the most of this unique flavour. Try an elegant sloe royale or botanical cocktail with juniper syrup. Not just for cocktails, you can also add a dash of sloe gin to savoury dishes - serve sloe gin cranberry sauce at Christmas or a classic venison with sloe gin sauce. For a comfort food pud, our sloe gin and fruit sponge puddings recipe is ideal served with plenty of custard. Our drinks expert Richard Davie is a writer, barman and brewer with roots in home-brewing. With Miriam Nice, he co-wrote The Art of Drinking Sober. When he's not making his own beer and cocktails, he works at award-winning micro pub The Beer Shop. He's selected the best sloe gins to try, on a range of prices from £20-£40, so that you can find the perfect bottle to suit you, whether you're after a warm spicy variety, sweet liqueur or rich and fruity option. For more, visit our reviews section to find more than 200 practical buyer's guides, including taste tests of vodka, rum and brandy, plus plenty more gin round-ups from rhubarb gin to citrus gin. Best sloe gin to buy at a glance Best budget-friendly sloe gin: Bathtub sloe gin, £30.95 Best small batch sloe gin: The Boatyard Distillery sloe boat gin, £34.50 Best classic sloe gin: Warner's sloe gin, £31.75 Best for drinking on its own: Sipsmith sloe gin, £30 Best organic sloe gin: Hernö sloe gin, £41.95 Best aged sloe gin: Sacred organic sloe gin, £38.85 Best eco-friendly sloe gin: Beckett’s sloe gin, £36.67 Best sloe gin liqueur: Foxdenton sloe gin liqueur, £29.50 Best spiced sloe gin: Pickering’s sloe gin, £20.99 Best fruity sloe gin: Adnam’s sloe gin, £36.98 Best sloe gin to buy 2025 Bathtub Gin sloe gin Available from Master of Malt (£30.95) Best budget-friendly sloe gin Rating: 4/5 ABV: 33.8% A standout from Bathtub Gin’s range of cold-compounded gins, the sloe gin uses almost half a pound of the finest sloes to produce every bottle, joined by additional botanicals such as the classic juniper, cassia, coriander, cloves, orange, et al. Unlike typical sloe gins, everything is added via infusion, then the liquid is sweetened once distilled and bottled at a relatively high abv of 33.8%. Boysenberry and some tart sloe and plum notes are omnipresent on the palate, joined by some delicious candied nut, fig, vanilla and just a whisper of rose and faint juniper. This becomes slightly more pronounced on the finish that’s dry and creamy with a pleasing astringency thanks to the higher proof, which prevents the gin from being too sweet and cloying. JH Available from: Master of Malt (£30.95) The Boatyard Distillery sloe boat gin Available from Master of Malt (£34.50) Best small batch sloe gin Rating: 4/5 ABV: 29.8% The first legal distillery in Fermanagh, on the banks of Lough Erne in North-West Ireland, since 1890, The Boatyard Distillery steeps wild-harvested sloe berries for six months in its gin. The process is then finished by adding a wild Fermanagh honeysuckle syrup to the sloe gin, which lends a balanced, natural sweetness and evens out some of the sloe tartness. Alongside the honeysuckle and sloe flavours, plenty of almond notes are joined by strong berry and plum fruitiness, and a bite of juniper on the finish. This gin is great in tonic and various cocktails, but even better when sipped neat. JH Available from: Master of Malt (£34.50) Warner's Sloe Gin Available from The Whisky Exchange (£31.75), Drink Supermarket (£30.99) Best classic sloe gin ABV: 30% Based on the family farm in Northamptonshire, Warner’s offering is fairly traditional, but big in every way. A slightly higher ABV of 30% gives a platform to rich marzipan and baked plum, with a juniper undercurrent. It continues intensely as you sip, with cherry and pepper also joining in. A full, rich mouthful, the sweetness is balanced by fruit skin tannins and a spicy finish. RD Available from: The Whisky Exchange (£31.75) Drink Supermarket (£30.99) Sipsmith Sloe Gin Latest Deals Best for drinking on its own ABV: 29% Sipsmith is godfather to the gin revival of the last decade, and the west London distillery’s sloe gin has a light, expansive nose that’s all almond up front. Soft stewed plum and cherry follow on, with just a hint of juniper and botanicals. A sip starts light and relatively dryly, with fruit matching the nose and balanced almond essence, with spicy notes as it comes towards a sweet finish and a suggestion of blackcurrant. A restrained and sippable example. RD Latest Deals Hernö Sloe Gin Available from Master of Malt (£41.95) Best organic sloe gin ABV: 30% Made four-and-a-half hours north of Stockholm on the Swedish coast, Hernö pride themselves on using all organic ingredients and include some locally sourced botanicals such as meadowsweet and lingonberry in their London dry gin. No surprise that with such a base this sloe gin is perfumed on the nose, with delicate floral hints alongside the juniper before the sloe, plum and almond notes come in. Starting sweetly and finishing drier, this delightful number really wants a good nosing. RD Available from: Master of Malt (£41.95) Sacred Organic Sloe Gin Available from Sacred (£38.85) Best aged sloe gin ABV: 28.8% Set up in their north London home by Ian Hart and his partner Hilary Whitney in 2009, Sacred are an intimate outfit. Utilising vacuum distillation in small volumes, Hart is able to extract the essence of the botanicals without heating them, a process he believes retains more flavour. Resting the resultant gin and ageing sloes in it for, a frankly ludicrous, 30 months before adding an extra boost of juniper pre-bottling results in an extraordinarily intense, spicy, sloe gin. The juniper makes itself known first with a pine-y edge, before the sloes whack in rich and jammy. A long finish sees you out with marzipan and notes of orange zest. RD Available from: Sacred (£38.85) Beckett's Sloe Gin Available from Master of Malt (£36.67) Best eco-friendly sloe gin ABV: 29% Hailing from the south-western tip of London, in Kingston upon Thames, Beckett's source their juniper from nearby Box Hill, where they support the National Trust and Forestry Commission’s repopulation project, trying to return the native conifer to the Surrey Hills. The other differentiator for the base dry gin used is fresh local mint. As for their sloe gin, marzipan leads into cherry and plum on the nose, while the juniper and botanicals keep everything in check. A clean note at the end brings the mint to mind without it overwhelming the warming fruit and almond. RD Available from: Master of Malt (£36.67) Foxdentons Sloe Gin Liqueur Available from Foxdenton (£29.50) Best sloe gin liqueur ABV: 27% Foxdenton claim a business heritage back to 1935, and are currently run by the descendants of the founding Major Radclyffe. With a definite affinity to the hunting-and-fishing end of sloe gin’s reputation, this is a rich fireside warmer or hipflask pull when out in the cold. Boozy, but not hot, on the nose, it wafts Battenberg at you, with lots of plum and glacé cherry fruit after the initial almond heft. Drunk, it leads with intense plum and plum skins, the fruit competing with marzipan. A rich, full mouth, especially given it is not one of the sweeter examples. Spicy pepper and coriander notes come in as well, as it finishes long. RD Available from: Foxdenton (£29.50) Pickering’s Sloe Gin Latest Deals Best spiced sloe gin ABV: 30% One of a few Edinburgh gin makers to pop up in the last 10 years, Pickering’s sloe gin is a spicy entrant to this list. The nose is almond-led, but with an almost lebkuchen aroma mingling with the fruit. This continues when you take a sip, the almond, sloe and cherry butting up against a warm embrace redolent of clove and cardamom, even ginger. The cooling edge of juniper stops this running into sickly or Christmas-only territory. RD Latest Deals Adnams Sloe Gin Available from Master of Malt (£36.98) Best fruity sloe gin ABV: 26% The venerable Suffolk brewery has opened up a distillery as part of its recent modernisation. Based on their Copper House dry gin, this is one of the less liqueur-like gins here. The nose has enough space to allow the juniper and citrus aromatics to interlace with notes of fresh almonds and plum. Flavours of baked plum, a touch of raspberry and a smidge of cinnamon again find themselves with the classic dry gin juniper. Interestingly, while it makes for a sweet G&T, mixing it opens up even more summer fruit on the palate, should you fancy a long drink. RD Available from: Master of Malt (£36.98) More related reviews The best cava The best gin to buy as gifts The best rum The best classic gin The best vodka The best tequila The best prosecco This review was last updated in April 2025. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk. Do you agree with our list of best sloe gins? We'd love to hear your product suggestions in the comments below.
The best Scotch whisky for Burns Night and beyond
Read our expert guide to the best whisky Scotland has to offer for every occasion, from Burns Night to first footing. Whether it’s supermarket bargains or the best of independent distilleries, our Scotch taste tests include single malts and more
The world of Scotch whisky is varied and occasionally intimidating, ranging from the light and heathery to the smoky and medicinal, with a huge gamut in-between. While a lot of distilleries were closed down or mothballed in the 1980s and 1990s, there has been a recent Scotch whisky revival. Some exciting new entrants are rubbing shoulders with distilleries centuries old to produce this illustrious spirit drink, rivalled only by fine wine for depth. Here is an introductory stroll through our choice of the best Scottish whisky – perfect for drinking with your haggis, neeps and tatties on Burns Night. We’ve included a range of price points from £30-80 a bottle, as well as styles, so whether you’re new to the world of Scotch or know exactly what you like, we’ve got a regional spirit for everybody. All the Scotch whiskies below have been chosen and tested by our drinks expert Richard Davie. Richard is a writer, barman and brewer with roots in home-brewing. He co-wrote The Art of Drinking Sober with Miriam Nice. When he’s not making his own beer and cocktails, Richard works at award-winning micro pub The Beer Shop. He has previously written round-ups of the best Irish whiskey and best Japanese whisky for Good Food. For more drinks product reviews, see our buyer’s guides to craft whisky, classic whisky, bourbon and much more in our dedicated reviews section with over 400 expert reviews. Jump to: What is Scotch whisky? What is the difference between Irish and Scotch whisky? Best Scotch whisky to buy 2025 Best Scotch whisky to buy at a glance Best gentle Scotch: Glenkinchie 12 year old, £45.75 Best sherry cask aged Scotch: The Dalmore 12 Year Old Sherry Cask Select, £79.99 Best young Scotch: Wolfburn Northland, £46.90 Best peat Scotch: Highland Park 12 year old, £45.61 Best classic Scotch: Benromach 10 year old, £41.95 Best smoky whisky: Ardbeg 10 year old, £48 Best long aged whisky: Lagavulin 16 year old, £83.50 Best independent whisky: Gordon & MacPhail Discovery Miltonduff 10 year old, £49.50 Best Scotch whisky for beginners: Caol Ila 12 year old, £53.95 Best Scotch whisky for an accessible Speyside: GlenAllachie 15 Year Old, £78.99 What is scotch whisky? With roots tracing back to 15th-century tax records, Scotch whisky is a type of whisky produced in Scotland, distilled from malted barley or grain and aged in oak barrels for a minimum of three years. Alongside its ageing process, Scottish whisky differs from other styles in terms of ingredients (made primarily from malted barley or a mix of grains), the production process and flavour profiles. Many regional influences contribute to a huge difference in flavour profiles for Scotch whiskey, from heavily smoked, peaty expressions through to rich, sherried styles or significantly lighter tasting options more synonymous with the lowlands. Although especially popular in Scotland and the United Kingdom, Scottish whisky also has a very strong global presence, with some of its largest export markets including the United States, France, Spain, India, China and Japan – where Scotch whisky is so popular, it became the benchmark model for Japanese whisky. What is the difference between Irish whiskey and Scotch whisky? Both Irish whiskey and Scotch whisky have been popular for centuries. Believed to date back to the sixth-century monks who distilled spirits for medicinal use, Irish Whiskey was the world’s most popular by the 1800s, yet prohibition in the United States caused a huge decline in popularity. Scotch whisky is comparatively younger, but today it’s arguably the most respected style of whisky on a global scale, especially renowned for its regional diversity. Although Irish whiskey and Scotch whisky are both distilled in the UK and have long, rich histories, the styles are quite different. Scotch whisky is predominantly twice distilled with malted barley or a mixture of grains, while Irish whiskey often features a blend of malted and un-malted barley, triple distilled for smoothness. Once distilled, both are aged for at least three years in oak barrels. As a result of differing production techniques, Scotch whisky is typically bold, complex and smoky if peated, while Irish whiskey is generally much smoother with lighter, fruitier notes on the palate. The best Scotch whisky to buy 2025 Glenkinchie 12 year old Available from The Whisky Exchange (£45.75) Best gentle Scotch ABV: 43% Glenkinchie, owned by Diageo, is based just a few miles outside Edinburgh and is one of the lightest of the Lowland whiskies, a region given to gentle, delicate drams. There are only a few distilleries left in the area, but Glenkinchie, a stalwart producer of whisky even during World War II, is now Diageo’s sole representative from the region. The nose is light and gentle, with flavours of barley and grain, fresh hay and lemon coming across the pale malt sweetness. It drinks very easily, with a prickle of heat, ginger and cinnamon, and comes to an easy finish, still with lemon notes and a little dryness. This is a very gentle Scotch with a couple of touches that keep it interesting. For a spirit so light, it responds well to a little water to ease the heat and open up the lemon notes. Available from:n The Whisky Exchange (£45.75) The Dalmore 12 Year Old Sherry Cask Select Available from Amazon (£79.99) Best sherry cask-aged Scotch whisky Rating: 4.5/5 ABV: 43% For over 180 years, The Dalmore has been reimagining what it takes to create exceptional single malt whisky on the shores of the Cromarty Firth in the Scottish Highlands. Specially selected rare casks from the world’s finest bodegas and wineries are especially prized, as they’re used to age the distillery’s whiskies. The Dalmore 12 Year Old Sherry Cask is a particularly elegant dram, initially matured in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels, followed by a full finish in a bespoke sherry assemblage, including an exclusive blend of nutty oloroso and sweet pedro ximénez. The result is a decadent, benchmark Highland single malt. On top of the chocolate, orange and warming spice notes typical of The Dalmore’s signature house style, indulgent aromas of caramelised orange, ginger and sultanas are omnipresent on the nose. The palate is delightfully smooth, intricately layered with dark chocolate, cinnamon, very lightly smoked almond and ripe mango savours which develop further on the lingering, sophisticated finish. JH Available from: Amazon (£79.99) Wolfburn Northland Available from Master of Malt (£46.90) Best young Scotch ABV: 46% Wolfburn claims to be the most northerly distillery on the mainland. Young whiskies are often fiery. The Northland manages that tendency magnificently, with a far greater smoothness and complexity than you’d expect for its age. Elsewhere in the range, there’s no age statement on Wolfburn Aurora, but it certainly has the feel of a young whisky, with a fresh, light nose giving off a touch of green apple and grass, a little smoke and sea air. It drinks light and dry, with a restrained complexity. Grounded by nut and a chocolate/coffee hint nestling under the fresh flavours that roll on from the aroma, the lightness and youth is balanced by a hint of fudge and grape. A gentle finish accentuates the smoke, while revealing a quiet sweetness. If you want to lean into the smoke, Wolfburn Morven is lightly peated, without losing the relatively youthful freshness. Available from: Master of Malt (£46.90) Highland Park 12 year old Available from Master of Malt (£45.61), The Great Wine Co (£47) <p">Best peat Scotch ABV: 40% With a greater northerliness than even Wolfburn, Highland Park comes from Orkney and claims a history dating back to 1798. The distillery still has its own floor malting (a traditional process where the grain germinates on a concrete floor) and uses local peat, which gives its whiskies part of the character for which it’s famous. The 12-year-old is the mainstay of the range, and the nose is balanced and medium bodied. There’s an apple note redolent of calvados, with raisins, a suggestion of leather and vanilla-led spices to fill it out. Light smokiness and a hint of briney air intermingle. To drink, it continues to be balanced, dryish with the smoke and brine covering a malt sweetness that emerges at the end, and a slight nuttiness under the bonfire notes on the short finish. Beautifully balanced and a great introduction to peat Scotch, this is tremendous whisky, even before you get to the competitive price. Available from: Master of Malt (£45.61) The Great Wine Co (£47) Benromach 10 year old Available from Master of Malt (£45.48), The Whisky Exchange (£41.95) Best classic Scotch ABV: 43% Mothballed for long stretches by one of Diageo’s precursors, before being reopened by independent bottlers Gordon & MacPhail in 1998, Benromach has expanded in the last twenty years from just two distillers to a small team today. It currently pitches itself as reviving the authentic taste of Speyside by bringing a light and, it is claimed, historically accurate peat note, to the refined spirits of the region. A slightly buttery malt nose, with toffee, touches of green apple and liquorice with a light waft of smoke. The Benromach 10 year old drinks deceptively easily, with spicy pepper, light sweet malt and more toffee notes, the bonfire air restrained and entwined with cardamom. The higher peat levels are a joyous union with Speyside's traditional refinement. If you’re looking for extra oomph, the Benromach 100° Proof has a ‘more is more’ approach, which, interestingly, brings down the smoke notes. Available from: Master of Malt (£45.48) The Whisky Exchange (£41.95) Ardbeg 10 year old Latest Deals Best smoky whisky ABV: 46% While Ardbeg is another distillery that’s seen a few ups and downs in its 200-year history, it’s hard to believe that its doors were closed as recently as the 1990s. Along with Highland Park, this is an iconic Scotch whisky, and the Ardbeg 10 year old is a great, if bracing, introduction to the distinctive peat and sea air characteristics of Islay whiskies. A peat nose verges towards coal smoke, with softening vanilla and some citrus. Pepper and even soap tuck in among them. To drink, the body is rich and smooth – a soft, light caramel malt sweetness before that peat barrels in. The vanilla adds a counterpoint and keeps it from pure liquid smoke, even as the soft malt reveals layers of coffee, liquorice root and pepper. A rich mouthfeel contributes to a long finish, with more of that savoury smoke, plus a hint of toasted sugar. Latest Deals Lagavulin 16 year old undefined Best long-aged whisky ABV: 43% Another iconic Islay whisky, and one that doesn’t stint on the peat smoke heft, the Lagavulin 16 year old has a large and very devoted following. While an 8 year old has recently been added to the permanent range (and is very good), the additional body and refinement of the 16 makes it the Lagavulin to start with. As with the Ardbeg, it has a big peat smoke nose and is just as intense, but here it pushes lapsang souchong and brine, while throttling back the bonfire. Vanilla adds a creamy note, along with bay leaf, even as the smoke and brine swirls around it. As you sip it, that peat comes straight onto the tongue, with the sweetness the smokes brings sitting alongside a slightly salty iodine. A full malt body slowly reveals itself, as well as a woody dryness and more spice. A long, spicy, sweet smoke finish revives the lapsang souchong air. undefined Gordon & MacPhail Discovery Miltonduff 10 year old Available from The Whisky Exchange (£49.50) Best independent whisky ABV: 43% Beyond the big distilleries is a thriving group of independent bottlers (to muddy the waters, some of them have distilleries, but still), whose skill lies in buying new-make spirits directly from distilleries, then ageing and bottling themselves. Some, like Gordon & MacPhail, even send their own carefully considered casks to be filled at the distillery. Done well, independent bottlings offer quality, value, and the unexpected from distilleries you thought you knew. This particular bottling is from Miltonduff, a distillery that mainly goes into Ballantines’ blends and is rarely regarded as a single malt. The nose is very rich. Soft cocoa, stewed raisins, spicy rum, sweet malt and a nutty hint at the edges. When you drink it, there’s a little aggression at the beginning, but that richness quickly reasserts itself, with fruitcake notes, more of the sherry, oaky vanilla and fig. It finishes with nut, oak woodiness and cinnamon spice, adding complexity and dryness to a whisky that might otherwise tip into excessive opulence. Available from: The Whisky Exchange (£56.75) Caol Ila 12 year old Available from Master of Malt (£55), The Whisky Exchange (£53.95) Best Scotch whisky for beginners ABV: 43% Caol Ila has spent a large part of its history largely producing fodder for blending, though its owners Diageo spotted an opportunity and started releasing under its own name in 2002. Although the measurable peat quantities are as high as Lagavulin, it’s an easier-going Islay, one to help you get your head around all that smoke and salt aficionados so enjoy. A sniff reveals both full and delicate peat smoke, with sweetness and a light element of brine, possibly even samphire. On drinking, there’s an oiliness too, which follows along. There’s a lovely full, clean mouthfeel, guiding the sweetness, while the peat smoke follows after, filling out the space. Fruity notes with a melon juiciness bring variety to the sweetness, and that strangely easy, oily body fades into a long smoky finish and longer sweet edge. An Islay that doesn’t overwhelm may seem like faint praise, but not everyone is after a bruiser, and when the elements are as well arranged as this, why deny the appeal? Available from: Master of Malt (£55) The Whisky Exchange (£53.95) The GlenAllachie 15 Year Old Available from Master of Malt (£78.99) Best Scotch whisky for an accessible Speyside ABV: 46% While the The GlenAllachie, built in the late 1960s, lacks the heritage of some of its older Speyside neighbours, the distillery has seen a revival in the last few years. Taken on by the feted master distiller and blender Billy Walker in 2017, it has started putting out a fuller, fruitier spirit than before, with the 15 year old a great example. Bottled at 46%, with no chill filtering, it has a rich chestnut glow in the glass. The nose is full and complex, without being heavy – dried fruit, honey, baked quince, cinnamon, nutmeg and a hint of frangipane. On the palate, dried figs, chocolate and vanilla emerge on a full mouthfeel, as well as a dark sugar sweetness that avoids being sticky. It finishes lightly, a whisper of smoke and the spices and fruit lingering for a few seconds. Available from: Master of Malt (£78.99) More on whisky The best craft whisky The best Japanese whisky The best bourbon The best classic whisky The best brandy Best whiskey glasses Whisky or whiskey, what's the difference? The best sustainable spirits to buy Popular whisk(e)y recipes Whiskey sour Whiskey sour mocktail Whiskey highball Whisky cream sauce Marmalade and whisky bread and butter pudding This review was last updated in April 2025. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk. What do you think of our selection of best Scotch whisky? Do you have a favourite bottle to recommend? We'd love to hear your product suggestions in the comments below...
Read our expert review of the best Japanese whisky. We taste-tested bottles of this complex spirit to bring you our recommended buys.
Even 10 or 20 years ago, Japanese whisky was something of a niche amongst a very small set of aficionados. The mere existence of Japanese whisky might be a surprise to the mainstream drinker, despite the best of it being as complex and refined as anything being put out by the Scots. Today, Japanese whisky-makers find themselves held in the highest regard around the world, laden with awards and struggling to keep up with demand. Japanese whisky is deeply influenced by Scotch whisky in many ways, but has grown and developed into something that is very much its own beast. As with scotch, there are differences between the output of distilleries that reflect the equipment, methods and local climate. Distillers play with process in a way that many Scottish operations may not, experimenting with yeasts and fermentation times to great effect. Here, our drinks experts Richard Davie and Jonathan Hatchman have selected the best Japanese whisky to buy, covering a range of styles and prices from under £40 to an investment £160. Read on for our in-depth reviews. For over 400 buyer’s guides, visit our reviews section and find taste tests of gin, vodka, tequila, rum, whisky and much more. Best Japanese whisky to buy at a glance Best well-known Japanese whisky: Nikka Days whisky, £37.49 Best light Japanese whisky: The Chita Suntory whisky, £72 Best intense Japanese whisky: Taketsuru pure malt, Nikka whisky, £69.31 Best luxury Japanese whisky: Hakushu 12-year-old single malt, Suntory whisky, £160 Best mizunara cask aged Japanese whisky: Ichiro's Malt Mizunara Wood Reserve, £99.95 Best Japanese whisky for Scotch lovers: Mars Maltage 'Cosmo' whisky, £61.50 Best Japanese whisky for whisky beginners: From The Barrel, Nikka whisky, £52 Best blended Japanese whisky: Hibiki Japanese Harmony, Suntory whisky, £74.99 Best classic Japanese-style whisky: Yoichi single malt, Nikka whisky, £77.25 Best for pairing with food: Miyagikyo single malt, Nikka whisky, £77.25 Jump to: What is different about Japanese whisky? Japanese whisky: a brief history Best Japanese whisky to buy 2025 Nikka Days whisky undefined Best well-known Japanese whisky ABV: 40% Rating: 4/5 Nikka dominates the Japanese whisky market. This easy-drinking blended whisky from their extensive range is light in aroma and flavour, making it a good option for newcomers to the whisky world, or for lovers of cocktails who, with this, can serve a highball with a punch. Read our full Nikka Days review. undefined The Chita, Suntory whisky undefined Best light Japanese whisky ABV: 43% Rating: 4/5 Along with Nikka, Suntory is one of the most-loved and well-known Japanese whisky brands. Operating from numerous distilleries, this whisky flies the flag for its Chita operation. This grain whisky is lighter and more delicate than other Japanese whiskies in our list. It's a fruity spirit with unripe banana flavours present in its thin, intense sweetness. Read our full review of The Chita by Suntory undefined Taketsuru pure malt, Nikka whisky Available from Amazon (£56.99), Master of Malt (£69.31) Best intense Japanese whisky ABV: 43% Rating: 4/5 Unlike the Nikka Days whisky, this doesn’t map across quite so simply to the more familiar Scottish whiskies that Japanese whiskies are often associated with. It tastes intense at first sip, with tobaco and smokiness present, and finishes to reveal a savoury, almost bitter note. This one is great in an old fashioned cocktail. Read our full review of Taketsuru whisky by Nikka Available from: Amazon (£56.99) Master of Malt (£69.31) Hakushu 12-year-old single malt, Suntory whisky undefined Best luxury Japanese whisky ABV: 45% Rating: 5/5 Made at Suntory's Hakushu distillery, this maturation is refined with cool herbal notes. On the palate, that coolness gives way to a smooth alcohol warmth, mint notes and some lemon that mingles with the sweetness of the malt. It's full-bodied with a little creaminess, too, making this an ideal whisky to serve neat in a dram. Read our full review of Hakushu 12 whisky by Suntory. Latest Deals Ichiro's Malt Mizunara Wood Reserve undefined Best mizunara cask aged Japanese whisky ABV: 46.5% Rating: 4/5 Founded by Ichiro Akuto, grandson of the founder of the Hanyu distillery which ceased production in 2000, the famous Chichibu Distillery has been distilling Japanese whisky since 2008. Over the past 17 years, the distillery has become particularly well renowned, with a somewhat cult following, making the whiskies especially sought after. With a very small production, the distillery’s limited releases generally involves masterful blending of old Hanyu stock and new Chichibu production, each with interesting maturing techniques. From Ichiro’s Malt Leaf Series, the Mizunara Wood Reserve comprises a blend of world whiskies finished in Japanese mizunara casks. Native to Japan, mizunara is an oak tree that’s becoming increasingly popular for barrel-ageing whiskies, renowned for the unique flavours it imparts, although it’s challenging to work with given its porous nature which makes it more prone to leakage. On the nose, the Mizunara Wood Reserve is dense with strong honey, plum sake, apple, white grape and sandalwood notes typical of mizunara-ageing, then initially spicy on the palate with a hint of black pepper, some more honey and fruity sweetness, a zip of bitter grapefruit and some pleasant woodiness that continues on the relatively short finish. JH undefined Mars Maltage 'Cosmo' whisky undefined Best Japanese whisky for Scotch lovers ABV: 43% Rating: 4/5 Mars Shinsu is a heritage distillery that's had a complicated journey, closing several times along the way, although it's enjoyed a resurgence in recent years. Known for very interesting special editions, this 'Cosmo' distillation has butterscotch on the nose and stewed fruit flavours. Expect a profile very similar to a traditional scotch. Read our full Mars Maltage review undefined From The Barrel, Nikka whisky undefined Best Japanese whisky for whisky beginners ABV: 51.4% Rating: 4.5/5 A flagship blended whisky from Nikka that you may have seen in bars and supermarkets. From The Barrel does what you imagine Nikka would like for a standard-bearer of their whiskies, showing many of the flavour elements in an approachable way, without sacrificing complexity. Read our full review of From The Barrel whisky by Nikka. undefined Hibiki Japanese Harmony, Suntory whisky undefined Best blended Japanese whisky ABV: 43% Rating: 4.5/5 A blended whisky from Suntory, this pulls in malt whisky from their Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries, and grain whisky from Chita. It has a complex but light nose, with red fruit and apple flavours and a marshmallow sweet note. Enjoy with an ice cube as a sundowner. Read our full review of Hibiki Japanese Harmony whisky by Suntory. Latest Deals Yoichi single malt, Nikka whisky Available from The Whisky Exchange (£77.25) Best classic Japanese-style whisky ABV: 45% Rating: 5/5 You can almost taste the Scottish influence in this dram, but Nikka's Yoichi has a distinctly Japanese flavour profile. On the nose there's gentle peat smoke and caramelised citrus fruits, and the palate carries the peat and fruit through, with melon and fresh apple being the most notable flavours. Overall, this is one of Japan’s top whiskies. It's a perfect introduction to the region's offering as it exemplifies its best qualities. Read our full review of Yoichi whisky by Nikka. Available from: The Whisky Exchange (£77.25) Miyagikyo single malt, Nikka whisky Available from The Whisky Exchange (£77.25) Best for pairing with food ABV: 45% Rating: 5/5 The no-age Miyagikyo is a great showcase for the Nikka distillery. The nose is intense without being heavy, with oodles of cereal, hints of candyfloss, banana and crisp apple. The palate shows a continuation, with delicate grass and floral notes before a full barley-malt sweetness. A dram of this would pair well with fruitcake. Read our full review of Miyagikyo whisky by Nikka. Available from: The Whisky Exchange (£77.25) What is different about Japanese whisky? To generalise, Japanese whisky tends toward precision and complexity without getting too heavy. Finishes, even if intense, don’t linger on the palate in the same way as an Islay might. Quite a few of the whiskies listed here shift through a few different sets of flavours as you sip them, with savoury notes you don’t see elsewhere. Closer to scotch than bourbon or rye, they run the gamut from the super-light to intense brooders. Flavour profiles will include hints of bitterness, too, that are striking when first tasted, but sit neatly within the blenders’ intent. Japanese whisky: a quick history The origins of this spirit can be traced back 100 years. The Japanese have links with Scotland going back to the mid-19th century, with students sent across in order to learn scientific and engineering innovations as the nation sought to modernise itself. This practice was still going strong when, in 1918, a young chemist named Masataka Taketsuru was put on a boat to Glasgow to learn how to make whisky. Returning two years later, he would become possibly the single most significant figure in Japanese whisky. The company that had sponsored his trip, Settsu Shuzo, had drawn back from making a proper whisky distillery, so Taketsuru instead spent his time making an ersatz substitute for them. Moving on in 1924, he joined Kotobukiya (now Suntory) making Japan’s earliest recognisable single malt at the country’s oldest whisky distillery, Yamazaki, in Osaka. Then, in 1934, he founded his own company, now known as Nikka, and set up the Yoichi distillery on the northern island of Hokkaido. The equivalent might be if Glenfiddich’s original master blender had gone on to found Glenlivet after a false start with Budweiser. Between the two behemoths of Suntory and Nikka, you have a majority of the whisky made in Japan and available to buy in the UK. With far greater attention being paid to Japanese whisky, fans are caught in a bit of a bind. On the one hand, a swift rise in demand for a drink that can take upward of a decade to mature properly has put pressure on stock levels, with commensurate price rises and whiskies of a particular vintage removed in favour of 'No Age Statement' (NAS) releases. Whisky collectors and traders are admittedly a niche, and one probably best not sucked into, but if you happened to pick up a Japanese single malt a decade ago, you might be rather surprised at the difference in price. On the other hand, the range of Japanese whisky that you can find in the UK is broader and more easily accessible. Flagship brands like the Nikka's From The Barrel can be seen in supermarkets, alongside scotch, bourbon and the never-ending panoply of gins. Whilst there are not currently equivalent budget options, there are very decent whiskies that don’t cost the earth. One thing to be aware of is that Japan does not have the same legislation surrounding methods and requirements for calling a drink a whisky and calling a whisky Japanese. As such, there are a lot of blended whiskies using Scottish base spirit that may or may not have been aged in Japan, and it is apparently possible to see aged shōchū being sold as whisky in the USA. Thankfully, the latter doesn't seem to have made its way over here. More on whisky The best whisky to buy as a gift The best bourbon whisky The best craft whisky The best Scotch whisky The best Irish whiskey The best sustainable spirits to buy Popular whisk(e)y recipes Whiskey sour Whiskey sour mocktail Whiskey highball Whisky cream sauce Marmalade and whisky bread and butter pudding The best whisky cocktail recipes Are you a fan of Japanese whisky? Share your product suggestions with us. Leave a comment below... This review was last updated in April 2025. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.
If you love rum, you're sure to be a fan of spiced rum. Find your next favourite bottle with our top must-try buys.
They say that rum is the new gin but in reality, it's spiced rums that are the new gins. These rums are made similarly to normal rum in that they are distilled from a byproduct of sugarcane – however, once flavours, spices or extra sugar are added to a rum, it becomes a rum liqueur, flavoured rum or spiced rum. Spiced rums can vary in style: from intensely sweet to varieties where the spice adds a touch of heat. Notes of vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg are common from the spices, giving a toffee sweetness to the finished spirit. With ageing, this may mature into deeper treacle or malt flavours. Complex varieties may add elements of smoke, coffee – there is plenty of room for experimenting and innovation. The Caribbean feels like the home of spiced rum, with some of our top picks below using rums or spices from St Lucia, Barbados and more. Spiced rum is a versatile spirit – sip neat, add simple mixers like lemonade or coca-cola, or use in classic rum cocktails to add even more flavour. Our hot cinnamon butter rum recipe is a winter warmer, whilst in summer try this pink gin iced tea for refreshment packed with flavour. With an amazing array of spices available to enhance the many rums on the market today, it's no wonder that this subcategory of the sugar cane spirit is becoming so popular. Our drinks experts Ian Burrell and Richard Davie have selected their top picks of the best spiced rum, covering prices from £21-33, to find a bottle to suit everyone. Whether you're looking for a spiced rum to mix into cocktails, prefer a heavily spiced style or are looking for something unique, our selection covers it all. For more unbiased expert buyers' guides, visit our reviews section to find 400+ round-ups of everything from the best gin and whisky to mezcal and pisco. Best spiced rum to buy at a glance Best spiced rum for cocktails: Dead Man’s Fingers spiced rum, £21.99 Best Caribbean spiced rum: Chairman's Reserve spiced rum, £29.49 Best aged rum: Don Q oak barrel spiced rum, £33 Best natural spiced rum: Foursquare spiced rum, £30.99 Best unique spiced rum: Bounty spiced rum, £25.25 Best spiced rum for coffee lovers: RumJava signature rum, £30.45 Best sugar cane spiced rum: Saint Aubin spiced rhum, £27.25 Best blackened spiced rum: Sadler's Peaky Blinder black spiced rum, £26 Best Creole spiced rum: Bayou spiced rum, £26.73 Best spiced rum to buy 2025 Dead Man's Fingers spiced rum Available from Amazon (£21.99), The Whisky Exchange (£23.25) Best spiced rum for cocktails ABV: 37.5% This spiced rum was created in the tropical county of Cornwall by the owners of The Rum & Crab Shack in St Ives. It's made using a blend of rums from Trinidad and Barbados, which have been aged for up to three years, then married with spices. When tasting neat, notes of orange, vanilla, nutmeg, raisins and toffee are dominant on the palate, but this spiced rum is best enjoyed mixed. For an almost treacle-like taste, mix it with cloudy apple juice, a squeeze of fresh lime and plenty of ice. Available from: Amazon (£21.99) The Whisky Exchange (£23.25) Chairman's Reserve spiced rum undefined Best Caribbean spiced rum ABV: 40% Made in the beautiful island of St Lucia, Chairman's Reserve brings Caribbean warmth to your glass. There are hints of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, coconut, allspice, lemon and orange, with a more moderate sweet side. At 40% ABV, you're getting a full-bodied spirit that punches way above its weight, whether you're drinking it with your favourite mixer, in a cocktail or with ice and a twist of orange (the latter being my personal favourite way to drink this award-winning spiced rum). Available from: Amazon (£29.49) Master of Malt (£29.94) The Whisky Exchange (£29.95) Don Q oak barrel spiced rum Available from Amazon (£33), Master of Malt (£36.95) Best aged rum ABV: 45% Aged for a minimum of three years in white oak barrels, Puerto Rican Don Q spiced rum is infused with a blend of cinnamon, vanilla, clove and nutmeg. These spicy notes shine through in the spirit, which is bottled at an amazing 45% ABV. It has a medium to long finish, with touches of apricot and caramel. The perfect way to serve this dry spiced rum? In a tall glass with plenty of ice, tonic and a slice each of orange and lime. If you really want to impress your friends, add a vanilla pod to the glass. Available from: Amazon (£33) Master of Malt (£36.95) Foursquare spiced rum Latest Deals Best natural spiced rum ABV: 37.5% Created at Richard Seale's award-winning Foursquare distillery in Barbados, this is a high-quality dry spiced rum. The distillery uses natural spices and no added sugar, and is known for the purity within its products. You'll find this drink very subtle in its spiciness, with touches of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and vanilla. It makes an amazing spicy mojito or daiquiri but is also delicious served with dry ginger ale, Angostura bitters and a lime wedge for a refreshing Bajan spiced mule. Available from: Amazon (£30.99) Harvey Nichols (£38) Bounty spiced rum Available from The Whisky Exchange (£25.25), Master of Malt (£23.86) Best unique spiced rum ABV: 40% Another spiced rum from the island of St Lucia. Bounty spiced rum is packed with vanilla, cinnamon and allspice, as well as the potent bois bande bark – a punchy local spice that gives this drink a uniquely St Lucian kick. It's aged for two years in former bourbon casks before the spices are macerated in the liquid, culminating in a light, spicy liquid that's easily drunk with your favourite mixer. Try this spiced rum with ginger beer or ginger ale for a refreshing long drink. Available from: The Whisky Exchange (£25.25) Master of Malt (£23.86) RumJava signature rum Available from Spirits Kiosk (£30.45), The Bottle Club (£32.59) Best spiced rum for coffee lovers ABV: 35% This spiced rum takes advantage of one the most popular flavours used in the drinks industry today: coffee. With the subtle help of dried coconut, vanilla and caramel, this signature blend is the flagship of the RumJava range. The rum is double distilled using Floridian sugar cane, then infused with freshly roasted Java’Mon Coffee beans. The natural flavours are then added to create a rich spiced rum, with a well-balanced dark coffee and sweet note finish. It's perfect on the rocks with a twist of orange peel or in an espresso martini, with the RumJava replacing the vodka. Available from: Spirits Kiosk (£30.45) The Bottle Club (£32.59) Saint Aubin spiced rum Available from The Whisky Exchange (£27.25) Best sugar cane spiced rum ABV: 40% A naturally spiced rum from artisanal distillery Saint Aubin, on the island of Mauritius. Unlike the majority of rums, this spiced rum is made from fresh sugar cane juice rather than molasses. The fresh juice base produces aromas of tropical fruit, such as caramelised banana and pineapple, enhanced by the maceration of additional flavours like orange peel, vanilla and sweet peppers. It's best served in citrus-based cocktails such as daiquiris, or as the base for a mai tai-style punch, with pineapple, lime, syrup and a dusting of nutmeg. Available from: The Whisky Exchange (£27.25) Sadler's Peaky Blinder black spiced rum Available from Ocado (£26), DrinkSupermarket (£29.99, includes hip flask) Best blackened spiced rum ABV: 40% Named after the Birmingham-based Peaky Blinders street gang from the late 19th/early 20th century, this is a traditional blackened spiced rum blended with spices and dark caramel. It erupts with big flavours of vanilla, cloves, flamed orange peel, treacle, sticky toffee and burnt caramel. A classic dark spiced rum, it's made to be mixed in a highball glass with ginger beer as a dark & stormy, or with cola and a slice of lime. Available from: Ocado (£26) DrinkSupermarket (£29.99, includes hip flask) Bayou spiced rum undefined Best Creole spiced rum ABV: 40% A spiced rum inspired by the spicy Creole flavours of Louisiana. A special blend of Creole baking spices is rested with Bayou's rum for up to 30 days, resulting in a spirit bursting with sweet cinnamon and banana aromas, followed by flavours of allspice, clove, pepper and maple syrup. A versatile spiced rum, it's best enjoyed with ginger ale, ginger beer or tonic. It also works well in classic cocktails such as an old fashioned – simply add a sugar cube, Angostura bitters and ice, and stir until cold, then finish with a twist of orange peel. undefined What is a spiced rum? Spiced rums are made similarly to normal rum as they are distilled from a byproduct of sugarcane. However, for a spiced rum, flavours, spices or extra sugar are then added (this process also creates flavoured rums or rum liqueurs). The additions give varied notes to the rum, from fragrant cinnamon or vanilla to intense fruit cake or warm allspice and pepper. The flavours then develop more during the ageing process. More expert spirits reviews The best rum The best Scotch The best craft whisky The best bourbon The best classic whisky The best brandy The best gin to buy as gifts This review was last updated in January 2025. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.
The best flavoured vodka taste tested 2024
With variations including salted caramel, fruit and chilli on the shelves, vodka is knocking it out of the park in the innovation stakes. Read on for our expert picks of the best flavoured vodka
Flavoured vodka isn't necessarily always a term to bring joy to many people's hearts. Memories may exist of luminous jars of sweet-steeped booze lingering behind the bar to entrap unwary students, but this is seldom the case anymore. Possibly not as heralded as the craft gin and independent whisky revivals, but just as heartening, is the sight of vodka distillers experimenting with interesting ingredients and methods. Alongside the familiar big vodka brands such as Smirnoff, Absolut and Ciroc are smaller artisan producers getting creative with new bottles. Flavoured vodka is perfect for cocktails: the comparatively neutral flavour of vodka makes it great for carrying bolder flavours, such as fruits, spices or aromatic infusions. For example, try vanilla vodka in a French martini or use fragrant vanilla vodka in a tropical Waterloo sunset cocktail. Fruit-flavoured vodkas are the most common flavoured vodkas: our list encompasses everything from zesty citrus vodkas to juicy berry or summery peach. The options don’t stop there, however. Flavoured vodka offers a chance for artisans to get creative – we’ve tried everything from spicy chilli vodka to smooth strawberry or subtle elderflower. Drinks expert Richard Davie is a writer, barman and brewer with roots in home-brewing. With Miriam Nice, he co-wrote The Art of Drinking Sober. When he's not making his own beer and cocktails, he works at award-winning micro pub The Beer Shop. Find him on Instagram @richarddaviebrews. Good Food’s E-Commerce and Reviews Editor Lucy Roxburgh is WSET Level 2-qualified and writes a range of drinks reviews for Good Food, including best cocktail subscriptions, best gins to give as gifts and best flavoured vodkas. Read on to discover all their picks for the best flavoured vodkas that take advantage of the drink's versatility and its ability to act as a canvas for flavours both bold and subtle. For more, visit our reviews section to find more than 200 practical buyer's guides, including taste tests of gin, vodka, rum and brandy, plus round-ups of the best rhubarb gins, pink gins and citrus gins. Best flavoured vodka at a glance Best rhubarb vodka: Chase English rhubarb vodka, £29 Best mango vodka: Desi Daru Alphonso mango vodka, £39 Best unique flavoured vodka: Hepple fir flavoured vodka, £33.95 Best marmalade vodka: Chase Aged Marmalade vodka, £29 Best strawberry vodka: Black Cow Vodka & English Strawberries, £26.49 Best flavoured vodka for beer drinkers: Mikkeller dry hop Simcoe vodka, £55.25 Best elderflower vodka: Anno Elderflower Vodka, £41.82 Best Scottish flavoured vodka: Dunnet Bay Distillery Holy Grass Scottish vodka, £35 Best chilli vodka: Arbikie Chilli vodka, £37.45 Best apple vodka: Trøve green apple with ginger botanical spirit drink, £13.30 Best flavoured vodka for cocktails: Absolut Vanilla, £22.75 Best passion fruit vodka: Smirnoff mango & passion fruit twist, £18.50 Best ginger vodka: Virtuous vodka ginger, £32.49 Best flavoured vodkas to try in 2024 Chase English rhubarb vodka Available from Amazon (£29), Sainsbury's (£30), Morrisons (£29) Best rhubarb vodka Size: 70cl ABV: 40% A top pick from Chase, the English rhubarb vodka is one of our favourites. Depending on how it's cooked, rhubarb can vary between mouth-puckeringly tart and sugary sweet, and this vodka infusion carries the complexity well. On the nose and initial palate, it's fresh with strong, tart aromas. As it develops on the palate, the balanced sweetness comes through to round out the flavours. Use in a rhubarb mule for a twist on a classic moscow mule. The towering pink bottle also makes it perfect for gifting. Available from: Amazon (£29) Sainsbury's (£30) Morrisons (£29) Desi Daru Alphonso mango vodka Available from Amazon (£39), The Whisky Exchange (£34.95) Best mango vodka Size: 70cl ABV: 41% Be transported to a tropical island with this juicy mango vodka. British-born Indian founders Mohit Singh and Aneet Kaur aimed to combine the best of Britain and India in this flavoured vodka, using creamy English wheat for the vodka base with the rich, sweet flavour of Alphonso mangoes. The finish is slightly sweet and would be great as a base for fruity cocktails, but is equally luxurious enough to let the vodka flavour shine on its own. Available from: Amazon (£39) The Whisky Exchange (£34.95) Hepple Douglas fir flavoured vodka Available from Master of Malt (£33.94), Fenwick (£37) Best unique flavoured vodka Size: 50cl ABV: 41% Moorland Spirit Co hails from a remote corner of Northumberland and counts noted foodie Valentine Warner among its founders. The distillery uses a copper pot still and the team draws upon vacuum distillation and supercritical CO² extraction in order to get the flavours they want, where they want them. Although Moorland Spirit Co is primarily a gin producer, this vodka flavoured by Douglas fir tips is a diamond in its own right. It has a light, clean nose with lively pine notes and a softer citrus undercurrent. Drunk neat, it’s smooth and light-bodied with a big initial pine rush. Starting fresh and zingy, but without any harsh menthol edge, it then reveals a soft, sweet melon note as it finishes and has a final coolness when you exhale. Excellent simply as a sipping spirit, it has more than enough in it to lift a simple martini or sour and would happily present new aspects to most gin cocktails. Available from: Master of Malt (£33.94) Fenwick (£37) Chase marmalade vodka Available from Amazon (£29), Waitrose (£29) Best marmalade vodka Size: 70cl ABV: 40% Herefordshire potato farmer William Chase set up Chase Distillery after enjoying the success of his earlier venture, Tyrrells crisps. A complex methodology, involving marmalade and Seville and Valencia oranges going through maceration, redistillation, further maceration and final filtering, leaves you with a spirit bursting with the flavour and intensity of good marmalade. There's orange with undertone of lemon on the nose, all marmalade richness and zesty spritz, before a sip doubles down on all of that. Orange marmalade, orange zest, a bit of juice and more sweet marmalade assail you in the most glorious manner. The depth of flavour is hefty, but noticeably moreish when drunk cold and neat. It happily sits astride a good tonic, and does great things to a sour. Available from: Amazon (£29) Waitrose (£29) Mikkeller dry hop Simcoe vodka Available from The Whisky Exchange (£55.25) Best flavoured vodka for beer drinkers Size: 70cl ABV: 44% Mikkeller is better known in the beer world as the nomadic brewer of an endless profusion of unpredictable and intriguing beers made to founder Mikkel Borg Bjergsø’s peripatetic vision, often using the facilities at Belgium’s respected De Proef brewery. This vodka, then, is a sideways step. It uses dry-hopping, a technique where the aromatic hops are steeped in the liquid after the brewing process, which gives aroma and flavour, but no bitterness. The modern American hop variety Simcoe is used here. Associated with stone fruit, citrus and pine when used in beer, it gives the clean, smooth vodka base a delightful lifting accent. Somewhat surprisingly, the essential element here is of blueberries, namely blueberry muffins, with a slightly cake-y edge on the fruit. There’s a little pine at the end, but this is a less-is-more introduction to the hop, delicate enough to lend itself to a wide range of drinking. Available from: The Whisky Exchange (£55.25) Black Cow Vodka & English Strawberries Available from Amazon (£26.49), Ocado (£29.50) Best strawberry vodka Size: 70cl ABV: 37.5% Black Cow vodka stands out due to its sustainable ethos (it was chosen as one of our top best sustainable spirits), making the most of both milk and wonky strawberries. Borne out of the desire to make use of whey leftover from cheese production, yeast is added to the whey to turn lactose into a beer, which is then distilled into vodka. This strawberry variety uses locally sourced, leftover or wonky berries rejected by supermarkets to prevent them going to waste. These are pressed and infused into the vodka for four days to impart their flavour (and gentle pink-orange hue) and the berry flavour bursts through the finished drink. The strawberries add enjoyable sweetness without any added sugar and it’s undeniably a great summer drink – fans of Pimm's are sure to enjoy, and it’s great for Wimbledon season. Add a splash to rosé or use in pitcher cocktails with plenty of ice. Available from: Amazon (£26.49) Ocado (£29.50) Anno Elderflower & Vodka Available from Amazon (£41.82) Best elderflower vodka Size: 70cl ABV: 29% Anno, based in Kent, is the labour of love of two scientists who decided to switch careers and set up Kent's first new gin distillery in 200 years. With a focus on ingredients from the garden of England, it’s perhaps no surprise that one of their selection is this elderflower infusion. One of the less strong offerings in this list, at 29%, Anno's Elderflower & Vodka has an intense elderflower nose, with the attendant lychee, peach, honey and muscat grape notes you'd hope for. It is sweet, but the flavour comes through well, with a real intensity when drunk neat. It’s delightful and I’d look to add it to a glass of fizz or make use of that marvellous aroma in a cocktail to best enjoy it. Available from: Amazon (£41.82) Dunnet Bay Distillery Holy Grass Scottish vodka Available from Amazon (£35), Master of Malt (£35.47) Best Scottish vodka Size: 70cl ABV: 41.5% Dunnet Bay Distillery resides about as far north as you can get on the Scotland mainland, but this vodka is kin to the open plains of eastern Europe, using as it does Hierochloe borealis (better known as bison grass). The grass imparts a gentle character, which is accentuated by the addition of apple juice in the distillation. The aromas are of creamy vanilla with light hints of cinnamon and jasmine, which carry through to the drinking on a lightly sweet base with murmurs of crisp apple and camomile. An obvious, and excellent, partner to a good apple juice, or simply enjoyed as a chilled shot straight from the freezer. Available from: Amazon (£35) Master of Malt (£35.47) Arbikie chilli vodka Available from Master of Malt (£37.45), Amazon (£38) Best chilli vodka Size: 70cl ABV: 43% Arbikie is the second Scottish appearance on this list and another producer aspiring to be a self-contained single-estate outfit. As with Dà Mhìle and Chase, everything that can be grown on the farm is – including the chillies in this vodka, which are also smoked by Arbikie in whisky casks. A potato vodka base with a smooth, soft body, it has a smokey nose with a disarmingly light chilli prickle behind it. On the tongue again there’s smoke, a pause and then the heat, paired with a fruity sweetness. The finish is long, slow and hot, with a smoke warmth and ham sweetness. Not painfully spicy, but definitely warming – and an obvious contender for bloody marys or bull shots. Available from: Master of Malt (£37.45) Amazon (£38) Trøve green apple with ginger botanical spirit drink Available from Amazon (£13.30) Best apple flavoured vodka Size: 70cl ABV: 43% Trøve claims to be ‘fanatical about flavour’, focusing on using whole fruits to infuse spirits. The resulting drinks are lower alcohol options (30% ABV) but can be used just like full-strength vodkas – take your pick of serving with tonic, soda or lemonade. The crisp green apple flavours come through first, with their tart notes balanced by warming spice from ginger. It’s almost like an apple crumble in a glass, but the ginger balances out this slightly confusing flavour. Serve over ice with soda and a thin slice of apple to garnish. Available from: Amazon (£13.30) Absolut Vanilia Available from Amazon (£18), Amathus Drinks (£21.60) Best flavoured vodka for cocktails Size: 70cl ABV: 38% A common complaint with flavoured vodkas is that they are too sweet, strong or overpowering. This may often come from fruit or heavily spiced spirits. If this sounds like you, Absolut Vanilia may be the best flavoured vodka for you. Just like in baking, the vanilla enhances the flavour of your finished drink and can be endlessly versatile. It does have clear fragrant vanilla sweetness (but there’s no added sugar), with almost butterscotch notes yet simple freshness. Its subtle versatility makes it perfect for cocktail: it is most classic in a passion fruit martini. Available from: Amazon (£18) Amathus Drinks (£21.60) Smirnoff mango & passionfruit twist Available from Amazon (£18.50), Tesco (£18.50) Best passion fruit vodka Size: 70cl ABV: 37.5% This latest launch from a vodka industry stalwart adds a splash of fun to the world of flavoured vodkas. From the bold packaging to the vivid orange hue of the vodka, this is unabashedly loud and proud. We were impressed by the extremely intense aromas on opening – juicy tropical fruit leaps out instantly. This follows up on tasting, too, with plenty of juicy sweet mango balanced by slight passion fruit tartness. The finished drink is like an alcoholic Rubicon, and extremely easy to drink. A great gift for cocktail lovers (this would add instant oomph to a passion fruit martini) or students. Available from: Amazon (£18.50) Tesco (£18.50) Virtuous vodka ginger Available from Master of Malt (£32.49), The Whisky Exchange (£32.50) Best ginger vodka Size: 70cl ABV: 700ml% Made in Sweden with 100% organic ingredients, Virtuous vodka is made from a base of organic rye. The unique Virtuous ginger flavour is distilled once before being macerated, then gently filtered. A great option for those who don’t want a sweet flavoured vodka, the fresh ginger is dominant on the nose and continues onto the palate. Even after the macerating and filtering process, the ginger retains its signature spice and heat on the tongue for a unique final result. We also tried and enjoyed the intensely jammy Virtuous raspberry and bitter lemon, which balances sweet, aromatic lemon with a touch of bitterness for an essence of marmalade. Available from: Master of Malt (£32.49) The Whisky Exchange (£32.50) How we tested flavoured vodka To find the best flavoured vodka, we tested each one neat, before mixing with soda and lemonade, to experience the different flavour profiles. We wanted the named ingredient to come through clearly – it’s disappointing when a flavoured vodka is too subtle, only evident in the aroma or instantly lost when combined with a mixer. We also looked for well-rounded drinks: flavoured vodkas can easily be too sweet, and we wanted the flavour to not be too artificial, plus the finished bottle should still be distinguishable as a vodka. Finally, the spirit shouldn’t overwhelm if used in cocktails. Is gin flavoured vodka? In some ways, you could describe gin as flavoured vodka. Gin is created by distilling a neutral spirit – most commonly vodka! – with juniper (crucial for defining it as a gin) and other botanicals. However, while gin is always made from grain-based spirit, vodka can be potato-based. The complex distilling process of creating gin also means the end result differs from vodka. How to make flavoured vodka Inspired to try some flavoured vodka, but can’t find a flavour you love? Have a go at making your own and creating the best flavoured vodka for you. Check out our guide on how to make flavoured vodka to get started with all the tips and tricks you need. There’s a flavoured vodka creation for every season: in summer, try elderflower and gooseberry vodka or strawberry and rhubarb vodka. At Christmas, go for festive Turkish delight vodka , while tangy marmalade vodka works all year round. Flavoured vodka recipes Spruce up your drinks cabinets with your own flavoured vodkas. In our toffee vodka, you can use store-bought hard toffees to make a deep caramel vodka to gift to friends and family. Seasonal rhubarb can be showcased in this strawberry and rhubarb vodka that lasts in the cupboard for up to a year. We also have a cranberry vodka recipe that makes a bittersweet fruity vodka that has a deep burgundy colour. If you have any Turkish delight leftover, you can make our Turkish delight vodka for a rose-water infused concoction and, for when autumn strikes, we have our three ingredient damson vodka. The best drinks, taste tested The best vodka The best flavoured gin The best craft whiskies The best gin to buy as a gift The best tequila The best rosé wine Visit our review section This review was last updated in March 2024. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk. What’s your favourite flavoured vodka? Let us know in the comments below...
Partial to a spot of home mixology? Read our expert review of the best cocktail shakers, where we explain the difference between cobbler, Boston and French shakers
If you like making your own cocktails at home or are bouncing around some home bar ideas, chances are you'll require a shaker. While some cocktails can be stirred (like a manhattan) or muddled (a technique perhaps made most famous by the mighty mojito), lots of them need a more vigorous mix. This is where a cocktail shaker comes in. Here, we explain the difference between three popular cocktail shaker styles – cobbler, Boston and French – and bring you our favourite products for each category. Happy mixing! Check out our reviews section for plenty more reviews including drinks recommendations taste tested by experts: browse our picks of the best flavoured vodka or best flavoured gin to get started on your cocktail journey, choose one of our best ice cube trays to keep your drinks cool or take a look at our best gifts for cocktail lovers for fun additions to your bar cart collection. Jump to: Best cocktail shakers to buy What is a cobbler or Manhattan cocktail shaker? What is a Boston cocktail shaker? What is a French cocktail shaker? Best cocktail shakers to buy at a glance Best basic cobbler cocktail shaker: ProCook cocktail shaker, £12.95 Best cobbler cocktail set: VonShef Manhattan silver cocktail set, £17.99 Best complete cocktail set: John Lewis ANYDAY stainless steel cocktail set, £35 Best cobbler shaker for gifting: Matilda Goad & Co. cocktail shaker, £48 Best basic Boston cocktail shaker: DrinkStuff Boston cocktail shaker set, £6.99 Best cocktail set for displaying: Mixology & Craft cocktail shaker set, £29.99 Best simple French shaker: Beaumont Mezclar copper-plated French shaker, £23.62 Best French cocktail shaker set: VonShef 9-piece Parisian cocktail set, from £22.99 Best modern cocktail shaker: Nordic Nest Rocks shaker, £32.76 Best luxury cobbler cocktail shaker: Rusty Barrel Mayfair cocktail shaker set, £45 Best cocktail shakers to buy 2023 ProCook cocktail shaker Available from ProCook (£12.95) Best basic cocktail shaker This simple cocktail shaker is a great option to get you started. It follows the cobbler design, made from stainless steel with a ribbed detail near the base which makes it easy to grip, especially as the shaker gets icy and cold. It has a generous 750ml capacity but the downside is you'll need a separate strainer. It also comes with a one-year guarantee. Available from: ProCook (£12.95) VonShef Manhattan silver cocktail set Available from VonHaus (£17.99) Best cobbler cocktail set This cocktail set with a cobbler shaker is a great beginners' option, with the basic extras you need and all for under £20. It comes in the classic silver pictured above, or also a more jazzy iridescent rainbow colourway that makes a statement and would be a lovely wallet-friendly gift for a cocktail fan. The set also includes a cocktail recipe guide that covers all the classics. The cocktail shaker has a 550ml capacity, a medium level across the variety of shakers we tested and generous enough to make cocktails for two. Available from: VonHaus (£17.99) John Lewis ANYDAY stainless steel cocktail set Available from John Lewis (£35) Best complete cocktail set Going beyond a shaker and some tools, this complete seven-piece set includes tongs and a mini holder for all the kit that can be used as ice bucket, for serving in style from start to finish. There's even a bottle opener for opening mixers or beers if anyone doesn't fancy a cocktail. It's a great choice if you like to serve cocktails when entertaining. The whole kit is in durable stainless steel but it is recommended to hand-wash rather than use a dishwasher. Available from: John Lewis (£35) Matilda Goad & Co. cocktail shaker Available from Anthropologie (£48) Best cobbler shaker for gifting Whilst most cocktail shakers come in minimalist silver and steel, this pretty lilac cocktail shaker brings a much more colourful aesthetic to cocktail hour. The cobbler/Manhattan style shaker has a lilac base, deep green trim and matching green lid. The shaker is ridged for easy grip with a slightly tapered base. It is made of stainless steel but recommended to hand-wash only due to the hand-painted design. Available from: Anthropologie (£48) DrinkStuff Boston tin & glass set Available from DrinkStuff (£6.99) Best basic Boston cocktail shaker This shaker set is no-nonsense and functional. The stainless steel tin and the robust glass won't win any awards for flair, but they feel good in the hand and seem like they'll last. You could possibly mark the set down because the external welding on the tin isn't seamless, but that's not unusual and doesn't affect the drink you’re making. The weighting is just fine and helps the can keep its shape. Most importantly for a Boston shaker, it reliably formed a seal after a firm tap, something some other Boston shakers we tested were far less consistent about. While cocktails do lend themselves to an air of luxury – and you can certainly spend an awful lot on accessories should you fancy it – this is a fine example of something very simple and inexpensive doing the job right. Available from: DrinkStuff (£6.99) Mixology & Craft 10-piece cocktail set Available from Amazon (£29.99) Best cocktail set for displaying If you've got a bar cart or side table where you're displaying your drinks collection, this clever cocktail set will fit right in. The generous 10-piece set has the all important cocktail shaker, along with a strainer, muddle, corkscrew, tongs and more. Each component of the set fits in to a cleverly designed sleek bamboo stand so nothing gets lost in a drawer. There are eight different colours of cocktail set to choose from, from rose gold to simple silver, with differing styles of cocktail shaker shape too, depending on which style you prefer. Available from: Amazon (£29.99) Beaumont Mezclar copper-plated French shaker Available from Nisbets (£23.62) Best simple French shaker Beaumont make an enormous range of professional bar equipment, from optic dispensers to bottle bins, but outside the trade it has a lower profile than you might expect. This is a French shaker from its Mezclar range, the high-end cocktail tools offering. A pleasing mixture of the classic and contemporary in its outline, there's a strong hint of the 1920s in its form, but with a decidedly modern touch to the fine details. Clean-flowing lines lead to a flat top, and the entire shaker has a gleaming, light copper-coloured finish. While the glossy finish gave the initial impression that it wouldn't seal well for shaking, there were no problems on that front. This is a capacious shaker, well-suited to aerating your cosmo, and it detaches without too much fuss after. Appealingly on-trend in appearance and fully functional, this is a great shaker for those who have the accessories already. Available from: Nisbets (£23.62) VonShef nine-piece Parisian cocktail set Available from VonHaus (from £22.99) Best French cocktail shaker set VonShef's offering comes as part of a set, alongside a muddler, hawthorne strainer, bar spoon, sieve, 25ml/50ml jigger, two pourers and recipe booklet. The shaker itself has a classic urn form with an Art Deco feel. It's currently available in three different colours – matte black, rose gold, or brushed gold and green. While these may not be to everyone's taste, it is good to see something different, especially without having to climb up the price scale. On the matte black edition, the matte coating seems hard-wearing, and resists abrasion impressively. I wouldn’t expect the entire set to remain perfectly pristine over the years, but the finish won’t be garnishing your espresso martini. While the VonShef shaker is slightly smaller than the Mezclar, it's still a decent size for making a double batch. With a narrower profile, it's very manageable, and the finish helps with the grip. It seals well and reliably. The top of the upper half also has enough of a concave shape to it to aid in getting a decent hold when separating the halves after shaking. This has the feel of a dependable piece of kit, as do the accessories, with enough aesthetic flair to set it apart. Available from: VonHaus (from £22.99) Nordic Nest rocks shaker Available from Nordic Nest (£32.76) Best modern cocktail shaker This unusual cocktail shaker doesn't conform to any of the classic cobbler, Boston or French cocktail shaker designs. Inspired by a melting ice cube, the slimline design is a simple column with rounded edges. It has a filter in the lid that can be used to strain your drinks, but a separate strainer may also be useful. It has a slightly smaller capacity than others in our list at 400ml but is still capable of short, strong cocktails or cocktails for one. A great choice for real fans of minimalist design. Available from: Nordic Nest (£32.76) Rusty Barrel Mayfair cocktail shaker set Available from Rusty Barrel (£45) Best luxury cobbler cocktail shaker This set comprises a classic three-piece shaker, accompanied by a 25ml/50ml jigger, wooden muddling stick, bar spoon, pourer, hawthorne strainer and small recipe booklet. The shaker itself is generously sized, and is more than enough to make a few servings at once. It has an archetypal form and clean, mirrored finish to the stainless steel, with the company’s branding etched onto the front. There was no problem with the seal when shaking, and it came apart without fuss after use. A small ridge on the lid helps with gripping the shaker when it's cold and more difficult. The accessories are all of a similar standard and finish, except the muddler, which is formed of a single piece of dark finished wood. While a hawthorne strainer shouldn't be needed with a cobbler, the addition rounds out the set nicely, should you get tired of the shaker’s integrated strainer. The recipe book provides simple instructions for making the classics, and there's a helpful card – photographically annotated – with tips on using everything included. Available from: Rusty Barrel (£45) What is a cobbler shaker? Also known as a Manhattan or three-piece shaker, the cobbler is the simplest style of cocktail shaker to get to grips with, and probably the most familiar to home cocktail makers. A product of the late Victorian era, the cobbler – with its tapered tin, lid with integrated strainer, and small cap to cover the strainer – is the quintessential silhouette of a cocktail shaker. On the cobbler's plus side, there's the benefit of it being self-contained. It’s hard to make a mess with it – simply add the ingredients, affix the top and the cap and get to shaking. Cobblers are lighter and smaller than Boston-style shakers, which is good for those with smaller hands, or who don’t need making a daiquiri to be a workout. They tend to be passed over in professional settings, but this has more to do with the practicalities of the working environment than it does the quality of the finished cocktail. On the downside, we've not seen a strainer in a cobbler that strains quite as well as we'd like, so ice chips and fruit pulp can sometimes pass through to the glass. A small sieve held underneath fixes that problem (and double-straining is good practice for cocktails with fine pips or similar debris). The narrowness of the built-in strainer can sometimes get clogged by the ice, leaving you having to faff about to pour out the last of your drinks before melted water dilutes them. One other issue is that cobblers are vulnerable to seizing up as they get cold from use, so opening them to pour without splashing the drink outside the glass can be easier said than done. Lastly, the flipside to their potentially more manageable size is that they have a smaller capacity for ingredients. With larger cobblers, you'll have no trouble making a couple at once, but small (300ml or less) models quickly veer towards the ornamental. What is a Boston cocktail shaker? The most common style to find in a cocktail bar, Boston shakers are much the same in principle and design as they were nearly two centuries ago. There's a larger outer tin (known as a 'can'), usually over a pint in capacity, and then a slightly smaller glass that is upended into the can. A firm tap with the heel of the hand on the upended glass's base seals the two together, and then you can get to shaking. When the smaller glass is swapped out for another tin, they are referred to as a tin-on-tin, imaginatively enough. Boston shakers have the virtue of simplicity – there are only two parts, after all. You get a larger capacity, which makes for more effective shaking, even if you're making a double batch of your cocktail. They are extremely easy to clean, which allows for faster cocktail making. This is all useful when hosting, even if you don't hold aspirations to work at the Savoy's American Bar. The downsides are that you need some practice and a degree of assurance to enjoy those benefits. It is a rare situation in which hitting glass with your hand is recommended, so it takes a few goes to feel at ease with this. Once you're comfortable with sealing a Boston, it's quick and intuitive. But, do remember to pay attention and hold both ends firmly, or the room may get an impromptu redecoration. The fact that a Boston shaker is bigger and, with the glass, heavier, makes it a slightly more physical proposition. Those with smaller hands may find a cobbler or French shaker more amenable. While the Boston shaker should always be made with thick, strengthened glass, it is possible for it to break. This risk is marginal, however, unless you have an unnecessarily violent opening technique. With tin-on-tin, you lose the ability to see how things are going (and a touch of showiness), but you gain robustness and the advantage of the shaker and cocktail chilling more quickly. The last thing to note is that with a Boston, you will need a separate strainer. The most common form is the hawthorne, a perforated disc which holds a coil behind it. Holding the hawthorne flat against the mouth of the can sites the coil snugly where it can keep that frozen water out of the glass as you decant your drink. If you fancy yourself more adventurous in your cocktail interests, then taking a little time to get a feel for a Boston shaker is well worthwhile. What is a French cocktail shaker? While it only predates the cobbler by a few years, the French (or Parisian) shaker has been seen as far back as 1878. In one sense, they are akin to a Boston, as they come in two parts and require a separate strainer. In another, they resemble the cobbler, as they share a similar silhouette. Generally possessed of an elegant form that lends itself to Art Deco styling, they are somewhat more handsome than the Boston. And without requiring the third piece to cap the strainer, as with a cobbler, the shape can flow a little more excitingly. Like a Boston shaker, the two halves fit together to form a seal, but with French shakers, the top half tapers inward to join neatly with the bottom. This makes the French shaker rather less intimidating to get to grips with, and allows you to get on with the serious business of knocking up that sour without having to worry if you're going to baptise yourself in its constituent parts. There are slight trade-offs, as the elegance of the shape comes at the cost of the Boston's larger capacity. Similarly, the ease of creating the seal also means it can't entirely avoid the risk of seizing up in the manner of a cobbler. And, of course, you need a strainer. Despite having a slightly longer pedigree than the cobbler, the French shaker has not had the same presence in the cocktail world. This is hopefully changing – we'd like them to have their moment in the sun. How to use a cocktail shaker Cocktail recipes and how-to guides Gin cocktail recipes Fruity cocktail recipes Vermouth cocktail recipes Frozen cocktail recipes Quick cocktail recipes Champagne cocktail recipes Sherry cocktail recipes Drinks reviews All our gin taste tests The best rums The best craft whiskies The best Scotch whiskies The best flavoured vodkas Best cocktail subscriptions and clubs This review was last updated in November 2023. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk. Do you use a cocktail shaker you love? Let us know in the comments below...
A spicy single malt, read more about Waterford The Cuvée whisky
Waterford Distillery is the brainchild of Mark Reynier, whose previous career encompasses 20 years in the wine trade, before taking on the then-abandoned Bruichladdich distillery in 2000. In 2015 Reynier announced the launch of Waterford Distillery, believing that Waterford has the best barley in the world. Whilst distillation and maturation are commonly judged more than terroir (the idea that the same plant sown in different places will produce different results based on the soil, wider landscape, weather, climate around it) in the world of spirits, Reynier believes these differences can be tasted to create exceptional whiskies. Reynier bought a large, modern Guinness brewery and recruited nearly a hundred barley farmers across southeast Ireland to build up a patchwork of varying terroir, barley varieties and cultivation methods. Each farm’s contribution is tracked and kept separate at all times, from grain to malt, new spirit and whisky. That they stick with 'whisky', not 'whiskey' is a hint that Waterford double distil (rather than triple, as is common in Ireland), presumably to retain more malt character. There are now several Waterford whiskies to choose from. There is the Single Farm Origin line, each release a snapshot of the land it came from. The Arcadian Series highlights organic, biodynamic and heritage barley offerings. Then there are The Cuvées, which are built from the breadth of whiskies now available to Waterford in the manner of winemakers. As Waterford grow and mature their stocks, expect this to be the core of their bottlings. Impossible to tell until it leaves the distinctive blue bottles all Waterford’s releases share, The Cuvée pours a pale gold. On the nose you get lots of spice – ginger, vanilla and pepper, a light barley character, floral notes and a touch of lemon. The palate brings in fresh mint, lots of pepper and then some chocolate notes, biscuity sweetness and ginger on an oily mouthfeel. There’s an intensity to the finish, with pepper and then some oak drying out the floral honeyed sweetness leaving the original cereal note. Part of Waterford’s appeal is how they capture the imagination, and The Cuvée as it stands is both a very fine, complex whisky and also a window into the shape of releases to come. There is definitely still a slightly young spirit character to The Cuvée, but even so there is much to enjoy. The ideal way to drink it is in a tasting glass. If you can compare it alongside another Waterford release to see the variations, so much the better. Discover over 400 buyer’s guides including the best whiskies to buy as a gift, or more reviews like our favourite rye whiskey in our reviews section. Whisky reviews The best scotch whisky The best Irish whiskey The best bourbon The best craft whiskies
Two Stacks Smoke & Mirrors whiskey review
Discover more about Two Stacks Smoke & Mirrors whiskey, a peated, triple-distilled single malt aged in bourbon casks
Buy now from Spirits Kiosk (£44.95), Master of Malt (£44.95) Two Stacks is the brainchild of Ireland Craft Beverages, which started in 2014 as distributors and exporters of the then-nascent Irish craft beer scene. The massive impact of covid-19 encouraged the establishment of Two Stacks. As a new operation, Two Stacks acts as blenders, with a keen eye as to what finishing in an unexpected cask can do to an already aged whiskey. Its range divides neatly between a core collection of The First Cut, The Blender’s Cut and Smoke & Mirrors, plus a rotating array of limited releases to flaunt its more experimental side, such as an apricot brandy cask finish. The Smoke & Mirrors whiskey shines a light on peat, which is under-represented in Irish whiskey. Here, Two Stacks has moved away from blending with pot still and grain, and instead gone entirely with single malts. Three parts is a peated, triple-distilled single malt aged in bourbon casks; one part double-distilled single malt aged in first-fill bourbon casks; and the last six parts are triple-distilled and finished in casks used to age imperial stout. As Two Stacks eschews colouring (and chill-filtering), the whiskey is a lighter gold than a turn in a stout barrel might suggest. On the nose, there’s a good hit of peat and roast coffee, then a softer chocolate note. Adjusting to that, you'll pick up fruits: apple, pear, some tropical elements and a creamy sweetness. To drink, the smoke and roasty side are more delicate than expected and the creaminess allies with the chocolate, as the fruit tends toward baked and luscious. Vanilla, clove and cinnamon add interest. The finish is more smooth chocolate, coffee roastiness and dark, dried fruit – the smoke lingers on a while. Highly enjoyable, this is a delightful Irish whiskey, with enough depth to marry to a peat side and have neither lose out. While this is very much a whiskey that can sipped neat, it would also work well in a black manhattan cocktail. Buy now from Spirits Kiosk (£44.95), Master of Malt (£44.95) Discover over 400 buyer’s guides, including the best whiskies to buy as a gift, or more reviews like our favourite rye whiskey in our reviews section. Whisky reviews The best Scotch whisky The best Irish whiskey The best bourbon The best craft whiskies