Jin JiJi Finest Indian Dry Gin 750ml

Jin JiJi Finest Indian Dry Gin is produced by Nao Spirits, founded by Anand Virmani and Jay Dhawan and based in Goa on India's southwestern coast. The brand set out to build a gin entirely around Indian ingredients, right down to its signature botanical: wild juniper that the distillers first came across at a spice market in Delhi. Uncertain what they had found, they sent samples to the British Gin Guild, which confirmed it was genuine juniper, though notably earthier and funkier than the varieties typically used in European gin. Jin JiJi also became the first gin to incorporate tulsi, a variety of holy basil central to Ayurvedic medicine and widely grown in Indian households, where it holds deep cultural and spiritual significance.

The gin is distilled in a copper pot still from a base of neutral spirit, built around that wild Himalayan juniper alongside Macedonian juniper for added structure. Tulsi, black tea, chamomile, coriander seed, angelica root, orris root, and cashew nut round out the botanical bill, with the cashew in particular contributing to the gin's notably silky texture. The result draws almost entirely on ingredients native to India, giving the spirit a genuine sense of place rather than simply layering Indian flavors onto a conventional gin base.

The nose offers gentle juniper alongside brewed black tea and green, herbal notes from the tulsi. On the palate, citrus and anise emerge first, followed by a soft mintiness and a touch of clove, while the cashew lends real weight and smoothness to the body. The finish is lightly peppery and lingers with the earthy, herbal character of the tulsi, distinguishing it clearly from more citrus-driven or classically juniper-forward gins.