Scottish distillery creates the 'world's strongest gin'

A Scottish distillery has created what is now considered to be the world's strongest gin.

Published 8th Feb 2018
Updated 18 th Sep 2023

Banchory-based Twin River Distillery made a limited run of just 101 bottles of the gin which has an incredibly potent abv of 77%.

The new Naked Gin ‘Uncut’ edition will launch at Gin Festival: North East which takes place on the 9 and 10th of February at Thainstone House in Inverurie.

World's strongest gin

The new gin is now thought to be the world's strongest gin. Picture: Twin Distillery

The distillery, which is one of just a handful Scottish gin distilleries to produce the base spirit for its range of gins - including their Rhubarb Old Tom, a Naked Gin and some seasonal expressions - entirely onsite, says the gin beats the record set last year by a small Swedish distillery which had produced a 76% abv gin, which at the time was thought to be the world's strongest.

Ryan Rhodes, brand ambassador for Twin River, explained that when their head distiller, Liam Pennycook tasted the uncut spirit straight from the still, he decided it was too good not to share.

Rhodes said: “By developing Uncut, we really wanted to push the boundaries - but obviously ask people to enjoy it sensibly.

"You have to appreciate that most gins are 40-50% ABV so care must be taken when drinking this spirit and a small amount definitely goes a long way.

"To enjoy the punchy flavour profile, it’s best to sip it over ice with a twist of lemon.

“Our first edition Naked Gin has a strong undertone of juniper which many of our customers love; the fact we make it from scratch in our distillery gives it that extra feeling of provenance that a craft
gin should have.”

Commenting on the first taste of Uncut, Peter Sim, founder of Aberdeen and Inverurie Gin Club, added: “On the nose there is a creamy nutty scent, almost buttery from their in-house neutral spirit made from barley. The alcohol has power, but I still get heavy juniper and a sweet spiciness.”

It's not the first time a Scottish drinks maker has hit the headlines for breaking records when it comes to the strength of their products, brewing giants Brewdog originally produced what was though to be the world's strongest beer in Sink The Bismarck which came in at a whopping 41%, before fellow Scots Brewmeister smashed that record with the release of Snake Venom, a 67.5% abv beer, a few years ago.

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Driven by a passion for all things drinks-related, Sean writes for The Scotsman extensively on the subject. He can also sometimes be found behind the bar at the world famous Potstill bar in Glasgow where he continues to enhance his whisky knowledge built up over 10 years advising customers from all over the world on the wonders of our national drink. Recently, his first book was published. Dubbed Gin Galore, it explores Scotland's best gins and the stories behind those that make them.
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