Flavoured gins have flooded the market over the past few years, and it takes something genuinely well-constructed to rise above the noise. Whitley Neill Blood Orange Gin is one of the bottles that helped kick-start the citrus-flavoured gin boom — and it remains a solid benchmark for the category.
Style & Botanical Character
Distilled at the City of London Distillery, this is a flavoured gin built on a traditional backbone of juniper, coriander, cassia bark, and angelica root. The star turn, obviously, is blood orange — introduced through both peel and extract. That dual approach matters. Peel delivers the bitter, zesty complexity you want in a gin, while the extract brings a rounder, sweeter fruit character. Lemon peel rounds out the citrus bill, adding a sharper high note that stops the blood orange from becoming one-dimensional.
At 43% ABV, it sits comfortably above the minimum for gin and well above many flavoured competitors that dial back to 37.5%. That extra strength is important — it gives the juniper and spice enough room to assert themselves alongside the fruit. This is not a gin that tastes like orange squash. The cassia bark in particular adds a warm, almost cinnamon-like depth that anchors the sweeter elements. Angelica root does what it always does: acts as the quiet backbone, knitting everything together.
Where It Sits
I have a lot of time for flavoured gins that remember they are, first and foremost, gin. Whitley Neill Blood Orange manages that balance reasonably well. The juniper is present, the spice notes are there, and the blood orange enhances rather than overwhelms. That said, it is not pushing any boundaries. The botanical bill is relatively straightforward, and if you have spent time exploring more experimental flavoured gins — those using yuzu, Seville orange, or bitter citrus combinations — this can feel a little safe. At around £28, it is fairly priced for what it delivers, though the market at this level is fiercely competitive.
A 7 out of 10 feels right. It is a well-made, accessible flavoured gin that does exactly what it promises. It just does not surprise you.
Best Served
Skip the standard orange wheel garnish — everyone does that. Instead, try this with a Japanese-style highball: plenty of ice in a tall glass, a good premium tonic, and a garnish of shiso leaf with a thin slice of blood orange. The herbal, slightly peppery shiso plays beautifully against the sweet citrus and lifts the cassia bark spice. If you are feeling more adventurous, it makes a fantastic base for a Blood Orange Negroni — swap it in for your usual London Dry, use Campari and a sweet vermouth with some depth, and garnish with a flamed orange peel. The bitterness of the Campari and the blood orange create something genuinely compelling.
