Skin Gin Review

When I tell you Skin Gin is made in Germany (a German London dry gin?) and that one of its selling points is that you can get it in customised packaging, you’re going to yell: gimmick! But you’d be wrong. Skin Gin needs no gimmicks as this is easily one of the most enjoyable gins I’ve tasted in the last six months.

Yes, that is saying a lot, but if they had scratch ‘n’ sniff screens and you could get a whiff of it, you’d know what I mean.

Skin Gin Review

The first thing that hits you is an unusual scent you don’t usually get in a gin… can that be mint? Yes, it is. Moroccan mint. There’s a hefty and refreshing dose of grapefruit, too, and other citrus – lime, lemon and orange peel are all in there. Did I detect basil? Probably not, maybe the mint suggested it. But it’s certainly an unusual bouquet, which blends seven botanicals in all. There’s some seductive spiciness too, provided by Vietnamese coriander.

The botanicals that go into Skin Gin
The Skin Gin Botanicals

Sip it neat and there’s the same refreshing mix of mint and citrus. Distillers are always trying to do something original with their spirits, and this time the distiller Arndt Weßel has really succeeded. Apparently he uses two different types of Arnold Holstein stills, and then blends the results together. It’s a longer production process than normal, but all that matters is the result and the result is brilliant.

Skin Gin Label

Skin Gin has an anchor prominent on the label, which reflects gin’s long association with sailors and the sea, and it’s also a nod towards a typical sailor’s tattoo, of an anchor. That’s reflected in the name Skin Gin too.

The citrus that go into Skin Gin

Skin Gin Packaging

The packaging is fascinating, and far from being a gimmick. There are three original design colours – Reptile Brown, Anthracite Grey and Blanc Edition – but the gin has a variety of skins, using a kind of leather foil which is hot-stamped around the bottle. There are about 500 variations of style and colour available, and anyone placing a minimum order can have their own name and logo incorporated into the skin.

If you’re interested in some of the special Skin Gin packaging, or in creating one of your own, contact Skin Gin in Germany or the UK importers, JBE Imports.

Buying Skin Gin

If you want to try the gin yourself – and you should, believe me – then it’s available from Master of Malt, including in a snazzy blue skin.

If you’re in the UK you can also buy the Reptile Brown version of Skin Gin from Amazon.