Crafting great gin isn’t easy. There’s nowhere to hide should things go wrong. But when they go right, a great gin can be a remarkable experience.

Three years ago, our first gin panel attracted 70 local entries, and we thought that was a monster effort. Could there really be 70 New Zealand gins? Our next call-out had judges sniffing and sipping their way through 108 entries blind and under competition conditions. One. Hundred. And. Eight! And there were more that, due to late arrival, didn’t make the judging table. Wow. How incredible is it that these many styles of gin are being crafted in Aotearoa with many already winning prestigious awards worldwide?

The history of gin dates to the mid-15th century in Holland, where they experimented with distilling herbs, spices and smörgåsbords of botanicals into health-giving elixirs. Modern gins, however, will always be dominated by juniper, citrus and coriander, with the biggest challenge for any distiller to select and blend additional botanicals to create a unique character. In New Zealand, classic botanicals like anise, angelica, orris root, liquorice root, cinnamon, cubeb pepper, dragon eye, saffron, baobab, frankincense, coriander, nutmeg and cassia bark are often blended with native notes like kawakawa, pōhutukawa, hemp, flax seeds, karamū and kauri gum. The crazy-complex, smoky, native bush notes in the rare Ignis Fatuus by Hastings Distillers is an excellent example. Whether you’re new to gin appreciation or a seasoned pro, it’s an exciting time. For years, I associated gin consumption with the nanas down at the local lawn bowls, boyfriend bust-ups, and not being able to find my shoes. However, my tastebuds matured when motherhood kicked in (funny that), and the new millennium bought a raft of cool, quality-focused craft gin brands with it. It didn’t take long for some canny Kiwis to click that anything’s possible when you have creativity and quality ingredients.

Gin is crafted under five distinct categories, and we received many entries across them all. ‘Contemporary/New Western’ is where other flavours such as citrus, spice and florals are more prominent than a traditional, juniper-led gin. ‘Flavoured’ gins are soaked in or infused with fruit or other ingredients. ‘Higher Strength’ is at least 45 percent proof. ‘London Dry’ is a juniper-led, traditional, dry style made from a pure, neutral spirit of agricultural origin where all botanicals must be distilled, and nothing can be added afterwards). Finally, ‘Matured’ includes gin matured with wood, i.e. in oak barrels or chips.

Our team found 15 gold and 29 silver medal winners. Look out for the dish stickers on their bottles, and please support them. They are some of the finest in Aotearoa.

TOP OF THE TASTING – Juno Extra Fine Gin ($99.00) – Gold Medal

It isn’t every day that all your judges immediately give something a near-perfect score of 19.5/20, each running out of space to write notes. This “straight-up banger” absolutely stunned with its ultra-pretty, intensely floral aromas of freshly scratched citrus peel, carraway, gentian, makrut lime, lemon verbena and orange blossom. On the palate, it delivers a generously rich, glossy mouthfeel, late-onset juniper, juicy delicacy, and beautifully balanced, like a Simone Biles beam routine. Sublime. junogin.com

2. Greytown Distilling Co Settler ($89.00) – Gold Medal

With its classically delicate English garden aromatics and savoury spice range along its spine, this complex gin is stitched together with anise, lime leaf and hints of sage and tea-like tension to finish. Impressive. greytowngin.com

3. Fenton Street The Beast with Two Backs ($78.00) – Gold Medal

Scented with exotic pepper, cassia, coffee, turmeric, leather and dried citrus, the palate of this gin is wonderfully waxy, elegantly oily, spice-saturated and textural. Named for the love of Shakespeare’s Othello and Desdemona, this is a sexy gin indeed. fentonstreetartscollective.co.nz

4. Lammermoor Distillery Gin & Bare It Ginisky ($90.00) – Gold Medal

From one of the few distilleries to grow grain and malt, mash, ferment, distil and mature their spirits on-site comes a whisky barrel-aged gin boasting indulgent notes of toffee, smoked maple, molasses, caramelised apple, vanilla and warming winter spices and rum and raisin to finish. Fantastic. lammermoordistillery.com

5. Strange Nature Gin ($89.00) – Gold Medal

This perfect martini gin is highly perfumed with blood orange, lavender, lemongrass and lifted juniper. On the palate, it has a sherberty freshness; bright citrus and grapefruity, lime- laced characters. A delicious, versatile example created from distilled sauvignon blanc grapes. strangenaturegin.com

6. The National Distillery Co New Zealand Native Gin ($79.00) – Gold Medal

Our judges loved the aromatic lift of kawakawa, pine, lanolin, lime and pepper in this gin. Fresh and generously structured, the palate reveals warming, biscuity spices and a toasty finish. Energetic and interesting. nationaldistillery.nz

7. Hastings Distillers Albertine ($95.00) – Gold Medal

A character-driven, martini-friendly, perfect G&T, London Dry-style, saturated with lemon blossom, lime leaf and candied peel on the nose and palate. Hints of green peppercorn unveil, leaving a soft, marzipan-like finish. Lovely. hastingsdistillers.com

8. Sandymount Distillery Lovers Leap Dry Gin ($85.00) – Gold Medal

It was revealed at the end of the tasting that this gin was the very first one served, and our judges unanimously loved it. Classic juniper-led spices, pepper, cardamom, anise and sack loads of citrus led to a soft, smooth, piney palate that cries out for simple soda to showcase its flavours. sandymount.nz

9. Hastings Distillers Blossom Parade ($75.00) – Gold Medal

True to its name, this gin boasts an intensely floral nose followed by a palate stacked with citrus and complex herb notes. The finish is defined by warm, soothing layers of lemon verbena, makrut lime and spice. A delight. hastingsdistillers.com

10. Good George Lemon Gin ($69.00) – Gold Medal

With its clean, defined, lemon-sherbert nose and limoncello-like layers, this had our judges immediately launching into a discussion on all the ways it could be incorporated into cocktails. Soothing citrus oil and peppermint make it perfect with prosecco. goodgeorge.kiwi.nz

11. Awildian Coromandel Mānuka Gin ($89.00) – Gold Medal

An intriguing nose of smoked herbs, heightened juniper, lemon zest and bitter orange leads to a strongly structured palate packed with fennel seed, smoked spices and toasty oak. A beautifully big gin for the bold and brave. awildian.com

12. The National Distillery Co New Zealand Navy Strength ($109.00) – Gold Medal

Weighing in at a whopping 58 percent, this creamy, cassia-crammed, juniper-led gin leads the tongue and gums on a warm, boldly spicy sojourn toward a nutty, magically mossy finish accentuated with hints of coconut and szechuan pepper. nationaldistillery.nz

13. Humdinger Dry Gin ($78.00) – Gold Medal

This made-for-martinis gin shows huge orange peel, anise and bay leaf layers busting through its bright, floral layers and beautifully managed spices. The definition and purity of this Geraldine-grown gin well and truly wowed our judges. Textural and ultra-tasty. humdinger.nz

14. Good George Aotearoa Dry ($69.00) – Gold Medal

Aromas of citrus-drizzled oyster shells combine with festive, figgy spices laced with vanilla roar through the nose and merge with a long, silky, slightly oily mouthfeel and a pepper-edged finish. “A great cocktail gin," noted all judges. goodgeorge.kiwi.nz

15. JD Distillery Mile Marker 66 Pink Gin ($66.00) – Gold Medal

A highly complex style with mossy, wet fern florals and earthy, rosehip and vanilla vavoom. The palate punches with fresh citrus, juicy juniper and shows a sexy strawberries-and-cream character on the finish. Our judges felt it’d be fab in a collins or a spritz. jddistillery.co.nz

SPECIAL MENTION – Southward Distilling Southward Smoked Rosemary Gin ($78.00) – Silver Medal

A truly unique, superbly savoury, golden-brown style where the smoked rosemary and dried herb notes merge with pine, driftwood bonfires and softly saline notes on the palate. Earthy, slightly meaty, like a splash of rosemary-studded roast lamb in liquid form. This really got our judges talking. southwarddistilling.com