First Impressions
Gin 13 — Portugal's first hop gin — embraces the superstition: black cats, clovers, and skulls adorn the bottle. The thirteenth botanical is hops, borrowed from the craft beer world. The production is serious: grain-based alcohol distilled four times in traditional Portuguese alembic stills, then distilled a fifth time with all botanicals in the still except lemon and prince herb, which are placed in the botanical basket for a more delicate extraction.
Tasting
Thirteen botanicals: juniper, coriander, lemon, mandarin, cardamom, ginger, almond, angelica root, liquorice, prince herb, jasmine flower, black tea, and hops. The nose is juniper and citrus with slight hop hints adding floral bitterness. On the palate, dry and fresh — juniper with citrus, the hops providing a subtle bitter floral dimension, black tea adding tannic structure, jasmine contributing exotic florals, ginger providing warmth. The finish is fresh with a clean hop bitterness.
The Bottom Line
Gin 13 earns a 7 — the hop addition is not a gimmick but a genuine botanical choice that adds a bitter-floral quality unavailable from traditional gin ingredients. The quadruple distillation and alembic still produce a clean, well-structured spirit. Best in a G&T with light tonic where the hop bitterness and tonic quinine create interesting layers. At £28, a Portuguese craft gin with a point of difference and a sense of humour.
