First Impressions
Masons of Yorkshire took Britain's most beloved cuppa and put it in a gin — using the finest quality Yorkshire tea, straight from the teabags. It sounds like a novelty, but the awards tell a different story: Gold Outstanding at the 2019 IWSC, Best British Contemporary Gin at the 2019 World Gin Awards, Gold at the 2017 New York Wine & Spirit Competition. This is one of the most decorated contemporary gins in Britain, and the tea is the reason why.
Tasting
Eleven botanicals: juniper, coriander, almond oil, bay leaf, Szechuan pepper, cardamom, fennel, triple citrus peel, and Yorkshire tea. On the nose, dark tannin notes make an instant impression, mixing with piney juniper and softer cardamom and fennel spice. The palate leads with dry Yorkshire tea — pine, roasted cardamom, aniseed, and black pepper spice from the Szechuan pepper. A citrus blast cuts through the tannins. The finish is long, dry, and unmistakably tea: rich tannic notes with citrus brightness and cardamom warmth.
The Bottom Line
Masons Yorkshire Tea earns an 8 — the tea provides a tannic structure and dryness that is genuinely transformative, creating a gin that finishes more like a fine Darjeeling than a spirit. The Szechuan pepper adds complexity without the numbing heat. Three major international gold medals in two years confirm this is world-class. Best in a G&T with Indian tonic and a lemon twist — the tea tannins and tonic quinine create a sophisticated bitterness. At £31, extraordinary value for the most awarded tea gin in the world.
