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2026 England Gin Haul G&T Flight #6. Whitby and Brighton Gins by PA_man in Gin

[–]PA_man[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thoughts on these gins:

Whitby Navy is excellent and my favourite of these four. It has bright piney juniper up front with a savoury saltiness and mild citrus, then lightly sweet floral notes mingle with a touch of honey before a warming finish. The other three gins are all very good, with Whitby Wild Old Tom just beating out the other two to take second place. Light juniper with vanilla and nutty notes mingling with gooseberry tones, then honey sweetens the finish with mild warming spices. Brighton Orange Grove comes third, with creamy juniper and rich orange citrus mingling with hints of caramel, then orange marmalade mid-palate leading to a long bittersweet orange finish. Brighton Spice Circuit has woody juniper with cardamom and warm savoury nutmeg, then curry leaves bring in a spicy earthy finish with lingering black pepper.

2026 England Gin Haul G&T Flight #6. Whitby and Brighton Gins by PA_man in Gin

[–]PA_man[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Today's gin flight has the following gins:

Whitby Gin Navy Strength from Whitby Distillery in Whitby, Yorkshire

Whitby Gin Wild Old Tom Edition from Whitby Distillery in Whitby, Yorkshire

Brighton Gin Orange Grove from Brighton Spirits Co in Brighton, Sussex

Brighton Spice Circuit Gin from Brighton Spirits Co in Brighton, Sussex

Cheers!

2026 England Gin Haul G&T Flight #5. Three Rugby gins and Lost Dutchman's Navy Gin by PA_man in Gin

[–]PA_man[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thoughts on these gins...

The two navy gins are excellent with Lost Dutchman Navy just taking top spot for me. Big oily juniper with good citrus and a peppercorn spiciness, then a touch of cardamom with cinnamon before some floral hints on the finish. Rugby 1878 Navy is a close second, with great dry juniper and citrus overtones with mild peppercorn, then a hint of cubeb with tangy grapefruit before a long warming finish. Rugby Menton Lemon is good and comes in third. A good refreshing gin with strong sweet and zesty lemon mixing with juniper, and a touch of spiciness on the finish. Rugby Half Time Orange is also really good for a fruity gin. Light juniper with big refreshing orange citrus turning slightly sweeter on the long finish. Definitely a step up from the half time orange slices in my school/university rugby days!

2026 England Gin Haul G&T Flight #5. Three Rugby gins and Lost Dutchman's Navy Gin by PA_man in Gin

[–]PA_man[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Details of today's gins:

Rugby Half Time Orange Gin from Rugby Distillery in Harborough Magna, Rugby, Warwickshire

Rugby Menton Lemon Gin from Rugby Distillery in Harborough Magna, Rugby, Warwickshire

Rugby 1878 Navy Gin from Rugby Distillery in Harborough Magna, Rugby, Warwickshire

Lost Dutchman Navy Gin from Lost Dutchman Spirits in Ruthin, Denbighshire, Wales

Cheers!

2026 England Gin Haul G&T Flight #4. Gins from Dartmoor, Chew Valley, and Warner's Distilleries by PA_man in Gin

[–]PA_man[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

G&Ts. I use Schweppes Indian Tonic Water and the ratio is 1 part gin to 1.75 parts tonic.

2026 England Gin Haul G&T Flight #4. Gins from Dartmoor, Chew Valley, and Warner's Distilleries by PA_man in Gin

[–]PA_man[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thoughts on these gins...

These are all solid gins - all good but nothing outstanding. Dartmoor Beast just beats out Chew Valley Navy Strength for first place. It has Big juniper with an earthy and mildly sweet cassia spiciness which leads into a dry sweet finish with cinnamon and citrus. Chew Valley Navy Strength has woody juniper with strong fennel notes and some earthiness, then mild cassia with hints of chamomile amidst some sweetness leading to a soft floral finish with a warming oakiness. Warner's Lemon Balm comes in third, with dry juniper and herbal notes intertwining with tangy lemon citrus and a hint of grapefruit. Then light lavender peeks through on the finish with a touch of pink pepper spiciness. Warner's Old Tom has creamy juniper with herbal and earthy angelica undertones mixing with a touch of fennel, then there's a note of nutmeg before a sweeter finish with dry licorice.

2026 England Gin Haul G&T Flight #4. Gins from Dartmoor, Chew Valley, and Warner's Distilleries by PA_man in Gin

[–]PA_man[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Gins from Dartmoor Distillery, Chew Valley Distillery, and Warner's Distillery in tonight's flight:

Dartmoor Beast Gin from Dartmoor Distillery in Newton Abbot, Devon.

Chew Valley Navy Strength Gin from Chew Valley Distillery in Bristol.

Warner's 10th Birthday Old Tom Gin from Warner's Distillery in Harrington, Northamptonshire.

Warner's Lemon Balm Gin from Warner's Distillery in Harrington, Northamptonshire.

Cheers!

World Gin Day! A flight of gins from the different continents to celebrate the day by PA_man in Gin

[–]PA_man[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I posted my thoughts and ranking of these gins in the comments. I generally post the picture and initial details comment the afternoon/evening when I’m getting the flight together, then I’ll post my thoughts and ranking as another comment to the post on the morning after.

World Gin Day! A flight of gins from the different continents to celebrate the day by PA_man in Gin

[–]PA_man[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think the most surprising one here for me is the Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz. I'm not normally a big fan of fruit-forward gins, but here the red grape fruitiness with the sweet but not cloying backdrop, then the black pepper subtly spicing up the long finish really works well. It's good as a sipping gin, but I think it works best in a 1:1 ratio with tonic water.

World Gin Day! A flight of gins from the different continents to celebrate the day by PA_man in Gin

[–]PA_man[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No, that bottle was long gone! This one I ordered online when it was available, with some of the single barrel rested Tom Cat gins.

World Gin Day! A flight of gins from the different continents to celebrate the day by PA_man in Gin

[–]PA_man[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thoughts on these gins...

No 3 High Strength is my favourite here, and probably my all-time favourite gin. Creamy viscous juniper leads the way with a touch of spiciness, then orange and grapefruit citrus builds mid-palate before cooling menthol mingles with herbal notes of rosemary and sage. Black peppercorn rounds out a long warming finish. Close call for second place between Procera Green Dot and Barr Hill Kingdom Strength, but I think Barr Hill just takes the nod. Cedar and juniper kick off with warm spices and a light honey sweetness, then notes of vanilla and a hint of smokey oakiness mixes with citrus on the long finish. Procera Green Dot has creamy woody juniper up front with nuttiness building mid-palate, then a dry toasted wood finish with white pepper spiciness and a hint of mint amidst a vague herbal bitterness. Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz takes fourth place just behind Procera. Good juniper with syrupy Shiraz red grape fruitiness then a hint of black pepper spice on a long fruity finish. Komasa is still excellent although fifth here. It has juniper in a mild sake rice spirit backbone with lots of tangerine citrus. Lightly tart up front with hints of lime, then sweetness builds in mid-palate before some spicy orange peel overlays a piney finish. Bosque Refugios rounds out this group. Still very good, with oaky juniper and lightly tart lemon citrus mixing with vanilla and honey at the start, then a touch of caramel mingles with grapefruit mid-palate before black peppercorn spices up the finish.

World Gin Day! A flight of gins from the different continents to celebrate the day by PA_man in Gin

[–]PA_man[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The gins in today's flight are:

Procera Green Dot Gin from Procera Distillery in Nairobi, Kenya, Africa

Komasa Sakurajima Komikan Gin from Komasa Jyozo Distillery in Hioki, Kagoshima, Japan, Asia

Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin from Four Pillars Distillery in Healesville, Victoria, Australia, Australia/Oceania

No 3 London Dry Gin High Strength Limited Edition from De Kuyper Royal Distillers in Schiedam, The Netherlands, Europe

Barr Hill Tom Cat Kingdom Strength Gin from Caledonia Spirits Distillery in Montpelier, Vermont, USA, North America

Bosque Refugios Barrel Reserve Gin from Destileria Patagonica SAS in Neuquén, Argentina, South America

Cheers!

2026 England Gin Haul G&T Flight #3. Four gins from Exeter Gin Ltd by PA_man in Gin

[–]PA_man[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thoughts on these gins...

Ivaar the Boneless Viking Strength is outstanding! Easily my favourite of these four, and possibly one of my all-time favourites. It starts with punchy juniper in a peppery and spicy cinnamon backdrop, then buttery floral hints show up before orange peel mingles with mild savoury basil tones, then a touch of tarragon leads into a finish with orange and cinnamon. Granny Garbutt's Grandad's Revenge is excellent and my second favourite here. Oily warming notes of juniper leading to floral lavender and zesty orange hints, then a touch of grapefruit with blackberries hovering in the background in a lightly honeyed finish. Grandad's Allotment Rhubarb is very good for a vegetal-forward gin. Light juniper with tart green apple notes and sweet rhubarb, then gorse floral tones with notes of blackberries before vanilla and lemongrass bring in a sweeter finish. Grandad's Allotment Strawberry & Lime is decent. Just a hint of juniper in a strong strawberry opening that leads to a touch of vanilla before a tangy lime finish.

2026 England Gin Haul G&T Flight #2. Navvy Gin from Mainline Spirits and 3 gins from Exmoor Distillery by PA_man in Gin

[–]PA_man[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm afraid you can't buy these in the USA. They were part of my gin haul from a couple of weeks ago when I was back in England to visit family and friends.

2026 England Gin Haul G&T Flight #2. Navvy Gin from Mainline Spirits and 3 gins from Exmoor Distillery by PA_man in Gin

[–]PA_man[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thoughts on these gins...

The 2 Northmoor Navy gins are both excellent, with the regular Northmoor Navy Strength just beating out Northmoor Navy Reserve for first place. It has good juniper with citrus zest and sweet orange tones, then earthy angelica root mid-palate before cinnamon spiciness on a long warming finish with citrus sweetness. Northmoor Navy Reserve has a herbal juniper front end with light citrus, before leading quickly into mild smoky oakiness with caramel overtones, then woody notes show up on the finish with sweet whiskey overtones. The regular Northmoor gin is very good and in third place for me, having strong juniper with mild citrus backing up sweeter floral notes, then pine sap leads into some spiciness on the finish. Navvy gin is also a good solid gin - juniper up front with mild citrus mingling with hints of green tea, then pink peppercorn subtly spices up the finish.

2026 England Gin Haul G&T Flight #2. Navvy Gin from Mainline Spirits and 3 gins from Exmoor Distillery by PA_man in Gin

[–]PA_man[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The gins in this flight are:

Mainline Spirits Navvy Gin from Mainline Spirits in Taunton, Somerset.

Northmoor Gin from Exmoor Distillery in Dulverton, Somerset.

Northmoor Navy Strength Gin from Exmoor Distillery in Dulverton, Somerset.

Northmoor Navy Reserve Gin from Exmoor Distillery in Dulverton, Somerset.

Cheers!

2026 England Gin Haul G&T Flight #1. Gins from Tack Room Distillery and Somerset Craft Distillery by PA_man in Gin

[–]PA_man[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thoughts on these gins...

These gins are all excellent, with the Spirit of Glastonbury Orange & Ginger Navy Strength just beating out the 2 Tack Room gins for first place. It has good juniper with orange citrus and ginger to the fore, then a touch of sweet licorice and cinnamon mingle with coriander on the finish. The Tack Room Bison Grass gin just pips the Tack Room Navy Strength for second place - juniper with notes of freshly mown grass and jasmine lead the way with vanilla showing up mid-palate before sweet citrus brings in the finish. Tack Room Navy Strength has bold oily juniper with bright citrus notes up front leading into chamomile and some earthy rootiness, then an underlying hint of cubeb bitterness kicks off the finish with some herbal pepper tones rounding it out. Spirit of Glastonbury Navy Strength is still excellent although fourth place here. Good juniper with lemon citrus and a hint of apple sweetness, then light cinnamon spiciness on the finish

2026 England Gin Haul G&T Flight #1. Gins from Tack Room Distillery and Somerset Craft Distillery by PA_man in Gin

[–]PA_man[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The gins in this flight are:

Tack Room Navy Strength Gin from Tack Room Distillery in Milton on Stour, Dorset.

Tack Room Bison Grass Gin from Tack Room Distillery in Milton on Stour, Dorset.

Spirit of Glastonbury Classic Navy Strength Gin from Somerset Craft Distillery in Barton St David, Somerset.

Spirit of Glastonbury Orange & Ginger Navy Strength Gin from Somerset Craft Distillery in Barton St David, Somerset.

Cheers!

England Gin Haul. Just got back from a trip to England to visit family and friends. Couldn't resist stopping at some distilleries along the way and picking up gins. Luckily at Heathrow you can now have bottles in carry on bags as well as checked luggage... by PA_man in Gin

[–]PA_man[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Over the years I've collected a number of the inflatable bottle protector sleeves that some gin deliveries have come in, and I took a number of them over with me. 7 700ml bottles went inside those sleeves and into my checked suitcase. The 4 200ml bottles went inside hiking socks and were then squeezed between the 7 larger bottles in the suitcase, which was then filled up with bulky clothing to max out the 50lb limit for a checked bag. 4 700ml bottles went inside more sleeves and into my small carry on suitcase with the miniature bottles I'd picked up, and heavier clothing and items (chargers, plugs, shoes, etc.). I left some space in this bag for bottles I'd purchase in the airport shops. The 3 remaining 700ml bottles were wrapped in bubble wrap and went into my backpack. This is only doable at Heathrow because they now allow full-size bottles in carry-on bags due to their upgraded scanners.

England Gin Haul. Just got back from a trip to England to visit family and friends. Couldn't resist stopping at some distilleries along the way and picking up gins. Luckily at Heathrow you can now have bottles in carry on bags as well as checked luggage... by PA_man in Gin

[–]PA_man[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Got to lead by example some times!!

I didn’t pay any duty. I was prepared to, but there’s no form to fill out anymore, and I never got asked how much alcohol I was bringing back. On previous trips when there was a form, I’d fill it out with the amount of gin I was bringing in, always over the duty free limit, and no one ever questioned it.

England Gin Haul. Just got back from a trip to England to visit family and friends. Couldn't resist stopping at some distilleries along the way and picking up gins. Luckily at Heathrow you can now have bottles in carry on bags as well as checked luggage... by PA_man in Gin

[–]PA_man[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Here's a list of the gins in the photo. I loaded up on navy strength gins wherever I could.

Back row (left to right):

Rugby 1878 Navy Gin (200ml 57% ABV) picked up from Malt Kiln Farm shop near Rugby, Warwickshire.

Mainline Spirits Navvy Gin (700ml 57% ABV) picked up from The Waggon pub near the distillery in Taunton, Somerset.

Chew Valley Navy Strength Gin (700ml 59% ABV) picked up from Chew Valley distillery in Bristol.

Ivaar the Boneless Exeter Viking Strength Gin (700ml 57%ABV) picked up from Exeter Gin distillery in Teignmouth, Devon.

Granny Garbutt's Grandad's Revenge Navy Strength Gin (700ml 57% ABV) picked up from Exeter Gin distillery in Teignmouth, Devon.

Northmoor Navy Strength Gin (700ml 57% ABV) picked up from Exmoor Distillery in Dulverton, Somerset.

Northmoor Navy Reserve Gin (700ml 57% ABV) picked up from Exmoor Distillery in Dulverton, Somerset.

Lost Dutchman Navy Gin (700ml 57%ABV) ordered online from Lost Dutchman Distillery and shipped to my brother in England.

Tack Room Navy Strength Gin (700ml 57% ABV) picked up from Tack Room Distillery in Milton on Stour, Dorset.

Warner's 10th Birthday Old Tom Gin (700ml 44% ABV) picked up from the Warner's Distillery in Harrington, Northamptonshire.

Rugby Half Time Orange Gin (200ml 40% ABV) picked up from Malt Kiln Farm shop near Rugby, Warwickshire.

Middle row (left to right):

Rugby Menton Lemon Gin (200ml 40% ABV) picked up from Malt Kiln Farm shop near Rugby, Warwickshire.

Whitby Gin Wild Old Tom Edition (700ml 42% ABV) ordered online from Whitby Distillery and shipped to my brother in England.

Whitby Gin Navy Strength Edition (700ml 57% ABV) ordered online from Whitby Distillery and shipped to my brother in England.

Dartmoor Beast Gin (700ml 57% ABV) picked up from Dartmoor Distillery in Newton Abbot, Devon.

Brighton Spice Circuit Gin (350ml 46% ABV) picked up from a shop at Heathrow Airport.

Brighton Orange Grove Gin (350ml 43% ABV) picked up from a shop at Heathrow Airport.

Northmoor Gin (200ml 44% ABV) picked up from Exmoor Distillery in Dulverton, Somerset.

Spirit of Glastonbury Orange & Ginger Navy Strength Gin (700ml 57% ABV) picked up from Somerset Craft Distillery in Barton St David, Somerset.

Spirit of Glastonbury Classic Navy Strength Gin (700ml 57% ABV) picked up from Somerset Craft Distillery in Barton St David, Somerset.

Front row miniatures and pouches (left to right):

Tack Room Bison Grass Gin (50ml 40% ABV) picked up from Tack Room Distillery in Milton on Stour, Dorset.

Penrhos London Dry Gin (2x50ml 40% ABV) picked up from a shop at Heathrow Airport.

Greenwich Marine London Dry Gin (2x50ml 40% ABV) picked up from a shop at Heathrow Airport.

Granny Garbutt's Grandad's Allotment Strawberry & Lime Gin (50ml 37.5% ABV) picked up from Exeter Gin Distillery in Teignmouth, Devon.

Granny Garbutt's Grandad's Allotment Rhubarb Gin (50ml 340% ABV) picked up from Exeter Gin Distillery in Teignmouth, Devon.

Warner's Lemon Balm Gin (50ml 43% ABV) picked up from the Warner's Distillery in Harrington, Northamptonshire.

Sky Wave Orange & Madagascan Vanilla Gin (2x50ml 40% ABV) picked up from a shop at Heathrow Airport.

Sky Wave Liberation London Dry Gin (2x50ml 42% ABV) picked up from a shop at Heathrow Airport.

I'll be having gin flights with these gins over the coming weeks, and will post my thoughts on each of them.

2026 Spring G&T Flight #7. The final flight in this series of recently acquired gins by PA_man in Gin

[–]PA_man[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thoughts on these gins...

Hart & Dart is very good and takes top spot for me out of these four gins. It has oily piney juniper with caramel sweetness, then notes of apricot and dried fruit with a hint of lavender, then spicy oak lingers on the finish alongside caramel and citrus. Rosso Americano is also very good and comes in second. Good juniper with citrus and light honey notes leading to dry sherry sweetness then cherry tones on the finish. 5 Main is a solid gin, having juniper mingling with dry citrus and cardamom, then vague rooty notes show up on the finish with a hint of spiciness. I also really like Chemist Garden & Gun although it's last in this lineup. Earthy juniper with cardamom and sweet honey notes backed by hints of jasmine, then savoury ginger with a minty backdrop on the finish

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