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Pal at is retiring and via some unsubtle questioning looks like maybe some gin may be a suitable reminder of his days in the office.
I know nothing about gin.
A brief search on House of Malt website seems to throw up flavoured gins (jaffas cake gin anyone?) - worth going for something like a flavoured mulberry/marmalade/raspberry et al version as something different or just go for a decent classic?
Budget probably up to £40 if that helps...
Empress 1908, changes colour when mixed with citrus, might be slightly over budget and it’s hard to find, but (imho) a decent gin.
Hills and harbour
Nice independent distillery.and it actually distills its own spirit
NOT a flavoured gin. Biased as spent a lot of time there but the Raasay Gin is nice.
Sisters family got me a bottle of gin at Christmas. Colorado High CBD Gin.
I've not opened it yet, but had some of theirs at Christmas and its very nice with lemonade.
£30/bottle so well within your price limit.
My two current favourites are Downpour from North Uist and Tiree gin from, well, Tiree.
Any love for Ruku gin? He also likes whiskey (but has enough bottles) so a Japanese single malt whiskey maker doing their own gin would be a good tie in.
Or I could just buy him a small bottle of Fevertree tonic water!
Personally.....I don't like fruit flavoured gins, so it'd be a no from me. My wife quite likes Tanqueray Sevilla but is also a bit meh on other ones (doesn't mind a Rhubarb one iirc). Citrus isn't really a fruit wrt gin, in my mind, before someone points it out.
There are various interesting (not necessarily fruit flavoured) small batch Silent Pool gins, might be worth a look. Also some other spirits that look interesting, fwiw.
https://silentpooldistillers.com/
Manchester, Stockport and York small batch gins are very good. Any from your home towns ?
Downpour from North Uist
Downpour "Coast and Croft" is absolutely stonkingly good - with dulce and thyme it smells like the sea breeze and comes a very attractive bottle that adds to the present-y quality. It's 'flavoured' although all gin really consists of is flavouring. But its very subtly done.
Also from that corner of the world Harris Gin again comes in a really lovely bottle. I dont think one single Harris gin bottle has ever gone in the recycling - I expect they all end up as ornaments
As a bit of a curve ball - Engine is an Italian gin is perfectly nice - just a good example of a 'normal' gin and his comes in a tidy package
Gin is my thing, I drink a lot of it and have many different bottles in the cupboard. It would help if you knew their preferences, fruit, citrus, London etc. there are many great gins and a local small distillery is always a good choice.
Roku is ok (very subtle) and as you say ties in with their whisky preference.
However my gold standard, always in the cupboard and absolutely loved by everyone I share it with is; Batch Industrial. It’s high alco content but amazingly smooth. There is absolutely no better gin and in budget. They will be eternally grateful. Alternative second, Batch Signature, available with a personalised label.
On a different note but good place to post. Would love ideas for my empty bottles. Some plain but others beautiful.
Gin Mare is gorgeous
As is pienarr and son orient gin both available for 40 quid
Gins we like are Brockmans, Silent Pool and one I had a couple of years ago called Mayfair. Partial to most gins, really, but those are our favourites so far. Actually, probably drop in Sipsmith too
Misread the thread title as "retirement project". Was impressed by the ambition.
Massingberd-Mundy in Lincolnshire.
Their latest limited edition is seville orange - and it's under £40.
Ive recently been impressed by a bottle of Gin Bothy Gunshot.
It's the only gin I've had that I'd prefer to drink straight or with a splash of water like a whisky.
When I had friends on Guernsey I used to bring back Blue Bottle Gin. Never found a gin drinker who didn't really rate it as one of the best they've tried. The bottles are pretty funky as well, so it looks more like a gift than some. There are not many places in UK to buy it, so Amazon might be your friend there.
I quite like the previous suggestion of Solent Pool too.
Another vote for Hills and Harbour. I used to work for a rival local gin distillery and always loved what they do.
Dr squid.
Black as it pours, pink with the tonic or layered with ginger beer. The bottle is a work of art. Like it's beautiful embossed copper. And as a gift that's almost as important
Tastes great aswell*
*It kinda smells odd though probably the squid ink**
** Oh yeah. Not for vegetarians.
***And I do like gin very much
Harris gin. Absolutely the best and the bottle is really lovely too. Bought myself a bottle as a promotion present.
No flavoured stuff. That tends to be drunk by people who don’t actually like gin!
Harris, Alnwick or North Just all good.
Wicked wolf from Exmoor is a lovely bottle of gin, either the Exmoor gin or the Full moon definitely some of my favourites. One local to me is Chew Valley distillery does some very nice gins either traditional or flavoured.
Ditto Harris.
My fave and no idea how it’s spelt. Kirkeeyvar!?!
Ninth Wave, 6 o'clock, or Greater than are all very nice.
As said any batch gin is a nice gift, everyone will recommend their own favourite. My favourite gin is Jawbox.
North Uist
Downpour “Coast and Croft” is absolutely stonkingly good – with dulce and thyme it smells like the sea breeze and comes a very attractive bottle that adds to the present-y quality. It’s ‘flavoured’ although all gin really consists of is flavouring. But its very subtly done.
Yep. Mrs S is the gin fan in our house and has a soft spot for both Harris and Downpour but the bottle of Coast and Croft I bought her for Xmas is almost finished, having quickly established itself as her new favourite.
I would definitely avoid flavoured gins
Also as it is a retirement gift I would get a gin with a nice bottle that can be used as a decanter afterwards.
So we have Harris gin as others have mentioned
https://harrisdistillery.com/products/buy-isle-of-harris-gin
Orkney Aata Gin
https://www.orkneygincompany.com/product-page/aatta-gin-70cl
And a new one to me this weekend Selkirk Gin
https://www.selkirkdistillers.com/shop-gin-rum/selkirk-gin-70cl
+ 4 for Downpour. My partner discovered it my we did the hebridean way a few years ago and has loved it ever since.
https://www.northuistdistillery.com/products/downpour-gin
I love Whitby gin (no connection to the distillery, just a consumer). Their usual dry comes in a lovely bottle and is a great flavour.
but the bottle of Coast and Croft I bought her for Xmas is almost finished, having quickly established itself as her new favourite.
I was given a bottle for my birthday at the end of jan and it barely lasted a week! With cucumber fevertree tonic it’s just irresistible
Harris Gin is definitely a favourite of mine along with The Botanist or the Seaside Gin from Edinburgh Gin.
As others said though there are loads to choose from.
For flavoured the best I have had is the strawberry one from Peurto de indias from Spain.
Harris gin. Absolutely the best and the bottle is really lovely too. Bought myself a bottle as a promotion present.
I think the Harris is a good shout because the bottle is attractive enough that people keep them (turn them into lamps etc) without being as quirky as the squid or engine oil stuff unless there is something which resonates with the retiree about that particular branding / style.
No flavoured stuff. That tends to be drunk by people who don’t actually like gin!
Actually not sure that characterisation is right, after all all gin is flavoured just some are subtle botanicals and some are in your face (possibly to compensate for a poor gin) - but if you know he likes gin don't risk getting some shit gin liquor.
Welsh Wind Signature is lovely. Really smooth. Great people as well.
Their cask aged gin is amazing, even smoother and some fruity notes. Would thoroughly recommend.
Throwing in another local variation, Mayfield Gin is great, but almost slightly hoppy, suspect more of a risk.
So apparently we have a local distillery in Durham!
More of a plain bottle though, not sure if the cask aging puts it more in the 'flavoured' category.