“What makes a good gin” can feel like a complicated question at first, but we’re here to de-mystify and explain it simply. The “best gin” can essentially be summed up in a math equation:
Good base + your taste preferences = the best gin
The reason for a no “one-fits-all" definitive answer lies in the fact that gin is unlike other neutral spirits. By law, juniper must be an ingredient in a gin, but there are endless other combinations of botanicals that could be included.
You may be driven towards certain taste profiles such as herbal, savoury, fruity, spice-y or sweet. This doesn’t mean a complex blend of botanicals means a better gin than one with four distilled botanicals. An analogy we might have all experienced at some point is that repulsive moment you sniff a perfume over your shoulder from someone else. That stranger might be on their 2nd or twentieth bottle because they love it! If the types of gin is something you're keen to learn more about, here’s an earlier post covering them.
