Jin JiJi Darjeeling Indian Botanicals Dry Gin 750ml

Jin JiJi is an Indian gin label launched in 2019 by Ansh Khanna and Master Sommelier Ken Fredrickson, built around the idea of expressing India's landscape and flavors through gin. The range is produced by Nao Spirits, founded by Anand Virmani and Jay Dhawan, at their distillery in Goa on India's southwestern coast, the same team behind the Hapusa gin label. Jin JiJi's Darjeeling expression was the brand's first tea-focused release, created to showcase Darjeeling, India's first product to receive a geographical indication, sourced from a single tea estate each batch, beginning with Jungpana.

The gin starts from a base of neutral spirit distilled from wheat grown in West Bengal, then redistilled in a copper pot still. Its core botanical is wild juniper foraged from the Himalayas, joined by Macedonian juniper, coriander seed, angelica root, orris root, cashew nut, Indian lemon peel, ginger, clove, cardamom, and a measure of high-grade Darjeeling black tea classified FTGFOP1, the finest tippy golden flowery orange pekoe grade available.

The nose leads with black tea and cream, given weight and texture by the cashew nut. Baking spice and cocoa notes follow, along with bright, juicy ginger that keeps the profile lively rather than heavy. The gin closes on an earthy, tannic finish as the Darjeeling tea returns, leaving a lingering impression distinct from more citrus-forward styles.