Brian Nagele
If you already love gin, you don’t need to be told why the delicious juniper-based beverage is worth drinking. From gin and tonics to classic gin martinis, gin is an essential item in any bar.
Although most of us gin-drinkers stick to affordable favorites like Tanqueray or Beefeater, it’s tempting to explore the elusive top-shelf gin varieties.
Looking at the prices on these bottles of gin, it may make even the biggest gin fan question whether their love for fermented juniper goes that far.
To help my fellow gin enthusiasts, I’ve done the research and compiled a list of the most expensive types of gin on the market. These fancy gins range from hardcore traditional styles to some truly unique gems.
While some of these bottles may be forever out of the common man’s reach, others may motivate you to save up for a special occasion.
Read on to learn more about the world’s most expensive gin.
Nolet’s Reserve Modern Gin
Nolet’s Reserve Modern Gin is a contemporary gin with strong notes of floral flavors and plenty of heat. This gin goes for upwards of $700 per bottle.
Carolus Nolet, Sr, a tenth-generation distillery owner, reportedly taste tests each batch of gin personally.
The golden color of the gin stands out to me the most, likely a result of the saffron botanical mix. As a fan of floral flavors, I loved the hints of rose petals and honeysuckle.
This gin also has subtle almond and fruit tasting notes that rounded out the flavor profile.
Nolet’s has more sharpness and heat than more traditional gins, so be prepared for a big kick when using Nolet’s gin in a cocktail.
Cambridge Distillery Watenshi Gin
Cambridge Distillery boasts that Watenshi Gin is “the world’s most exclusive gin.” Indeed, this gin is a particularly special variety within the distillery world.
Cambridge Distillery Watenshi Gin has sold for over $2000 and up to $5000.
Although originating from an English brand, Watenshi is a Japanese-style gin. This gin features East Asian botanicals like Yuzu, Sansho, and Shiso, thus feeding a growing appetite for Japanese distilled beverages.
Watenshi Gin is made even more special by being made from the angel’s share. The angel’s share is the part of the gin that evaporates during the distilling process but can be captured and used with advanced distilling methods.
Overall, I found that Watenshi Gin had an incredible balance between sweet and citrusy tasting notes that made it a worthwhile indulgence for a special cocktail.
Cambridge Distillery Anty Gin
The famed Cambridge Distillery made this list twice, this time with the Anty Gin. This bottle is not quite as expensive, costing over $200 and up to $500.
Not for the squeamish, this unique gin claims to be the only gin in the world based on insect ingredients.
Cambridge made this gin in partnership with the Nordic Food Lab as part of an initiative to explore the potential of insect cuisine.
Anty gin is made with distilled red wood ants. As strange as that may sound, the natural pheromones and acid from the ants create a distinct and pleasant flavor.
Comparable to citrus and vinegar, the ant flavor is accompanied by tasting notes of botanicals like nettle, colewort, and Bulgarian juniper.
Jam Jar Gin Morus LXIV
The distillery brand Jam Jar Gin won honors as the 2020 Guinness Book of World Records’ most expensive gin with Morus LXIV. It costs upwards of $5000, and some bottles have sold for over $7000.
Morus LXIV is made exclusively from one ancient mulberry tree, which supposedly gives it its incredibly rare and special flavor.
It takes the Jam Jar Gin team around two years in total to process the ingredients and distill a bottle of Morus LXIV.
The resulting flavors include notes of sweet citrus, earthy wood, and juniper. To top it off, each bottle of Morus LXIV is packaged in a handmade porcelain jar with an accompanying porcelain stirrup cup.
Monkey 47 Distiller’s Cut
True gin enthusiasts should already be familiar with Monkey 47, a distillery brand known for its special 47-ingredient blend.
With the limited edition Distiller’s Cut, one more ingredient is added: Scarlet Monarda.
Scarlet Monarda is a botanical addition to the original Monkey 47 blend, amping up this gin’s floral and citrus tasting notes.
For reference, many tasters compare the scarlet monarda flavors with that of orange blossom.
This gin is more affordable than others on the list, at around $80.
Of all the high-end gins on the list, this is the one that I may recommend the most for gin and tonics and simple cocktails, as the citrus and floral flavor mix is simply perfection on a warm evening.
Forager’s Clogau Reserve Gin
Another special edition limited release, this gin is a collaboration between the Foragers distillery and the Clogau jewelry brand.
Both Welsh companies, this gin seeks to celebrate the natural resources of Welsh land.
This special batch of gin uses water from St. David’s goldmine and a Welsh botanical blend.
To add an extra layer of fanciness, the Forager’s Clogau Reserve Gin features tiny flakes of edible gold leaf. It’s still not the priciest, however, at around $200 originally. It’s hard to find, however, so you may have to pay more for a rare bottle.
I usually don’t try gins that feature gold leaf as an ingredient, but I was ultimately impressed by this glitzy limited-release gin.
It manages to maintain a crisp, classic gin flavor profile while adding a special botanical flourish that you would expect from such a high-end bottle of gin.
Spring Gin Gentleman’s Cut
Many mainstream popular gins originate from the United Kingdom, but this Belgian gin makes a strong impression.
The Spring Gin Gentleman’s Cut is a luxury gin with a heavy alcoholic kick and plenty of citrus and botanical tasting notes.
This gin is likely too strong for most drinkers to handle with water, let alone by itself.
However, I could see the Spring Gin Gentleman’s Cut working quite well in an indulgent and flavorful cocktail.
This gin costs around $80-100 dollars.
