Juniper berries are the key ingredient in gin, and distillers use more of them in their dry gins. And as it turns out, there’s a very good reason for that – juniper berries give a drink its signature flavor. But how much do you know about these little green balls?
Which Brand of Gin Is Made With the Most Juniper Berries?
The most juniper berries used in a gin is Sipsmith V.J.O.P. This brand of gin uses double the amount of juniper berries as our London Dry Gin.
What is V.J.O.P.? V.J.O.P is an acronym for Very Juniper Over Proof, which means they use more than the required amount of juniper berries as per their license.
The reason behind this is that the berries taste better when they are distilled, and to ensure they stay fresh for longer, these gin distillers use more of them in their dry gins.
How Much of a Difference Does It Make to the Taste?
The botanicals used in Sipsmith V.J.O.P are juniper berries, coriander seeds, angelica root, licorice extract, and orange peels to name a few.
By using more of these key ingredients, the flavor is much stronger compared to normal London Dry Gins.
Alternative Brand That Uses a Lot of Juniper Berries
Monkey47
Monkey 47 gin uses a lot more juniper berries than average brands. This brand uses a whopping 47 different botanicals in their recipe, and juniper berries make up for 45% of those ingredients.
This is not the gin you would want to drink neat or on the rocks, but it is the perfect choice if you are looking to add some flavor to your cocktails.
Tatsumi Distillery Gin
Tatsumi Distillery uses the highest possible amount of juniper berries in their gin, which is why they call it The King of Gin.
Their gin isn’t exported to many countries, so you might have trouble trying it if you don’t live in Japan. But if you do get your hands on some, be sure to ask for a bottle of their Three-Year Aged Gin.
Beefeater London Dry Gin
With 22 juniper berries being used in every bottle, it is safe to say that Beefeater London Dry Gin has the most juniper of all brands.
This gin is known to be one of the more prominent flavors when you take your first sip of it. So if you don’t like too strong a flavor, this might not be the best choice for you.
Tanqueray London Dry Gin
If you are looking for a classic gin, Tanqueray has long been considered the go-to brand.
It is not as juniper forward as Beefeater, but it does make up for 22% of its ingredients. This is one of the major brands that use more than 10 juniper berries in every bottle.
Where can I buy these Gins?
Even though Japan is the only country that produces Tatsumi Gin, you can still find it in certain places in Europe and America.
To find a supplier of this brand near you, go to their website and contact them through the form provided.
As for Beefeater, you can buy this gin anywhere in North America or on Amazon. You can even buy Tanqueray if you want to go down the more classic route!
How much of a difference does adding more juniper berries make to taste?
The taste does not change too much when you add more juniper berries because the botanical blend is made up of so many other flavors.
The only noticeable difference might be a stronger burn, but we don’t think this will stop anyone from picking a brand with more juniper berries in it.
Why do you use more juniper berries in dry gins?
The reason gin distillers use more of the juniper berries in their dry gins is to balance out the flavor.
When you add more juniper berries, it becomes less prominent than the other flavors used such as coriander and citrus peels. This is why we see a lot more dry gins compared to London Dry Gins.
What Makes a Gin Taste Good?
There are more than enough brands that use the highest amount of juniper berries.
But what makes a gin taste good? Taste is very subjective so we can’t say for sure, but we think it’s down to how strong the flavor is whether you love or hate it.
The best thing to do is try as many different brands as you can, and if you like the flavor, go for it!
This is why we advise you to find the brand that suits your taste buds.
What’s Better with Gin?
We know that most people use gin in their cocktails or on their own. But there are ways of using this alcohol to make different dishes.
From the classic gin and tonic to a homemade meat marinade with juniper berries, there are plenty of ways you can use this spirit in your cooking.
We recommend trying our raspberry gin recipe if you like fruity flavors or even our roasted red pepper soup for something more savory.
Is there anything we need to know about gin and juniper berries?
Here’s everything you need to know about one of the most important flavors in your liquor cabinet:
- Junochios (the Greek word meaning “juniper”) is where we get our name for juniper berries.
- They’re only used in gin because they help balance out other flavors like citrus and sweetness.
- The best way to think of junipers is as an herbaceous spice rather than a fruit or vegetable: they have a bright, pine-like flavor. -Juniper berries are extremely small; it takes about 16 pounds of them to make one gallon of gin.
- According to most gin aficionados, the best way to taste these berries is by smelling their aromas (sweet and warm, like Christmas) with a little bit of earthiness mixed in (like pine needles).
- There’s a big difference between the junipers used in dry and sweet gins.
- So what makes equal proportions of juniper berries special? It means you can make your favorite cocktail with London Dry or Plymouth gin, knowing that there won’t be any weird flavors muddling the mix.
We hope that we have answered all your questions about which gin is made with the most juniper berries and what makes a gin taste good.
