Scottish Kings in Drinkhacker: A-

Scottish Kings Highland Dry Gin is a new product from a father-daughter team looking to make inroads into the increasingly crowded world of gin. Envisioned by American Randy Miller, a gin enthusiast and lover of Scotland, Miller and co. spent three years working on the formula to create what he envisioned as the world’s best tasting gin — and this is the fruit of his labor.

In the final blend, botanicals include juniper, coriander, lime peel, angelica root, rose petals, basil, orange peel, licorice root, elderflower, cardamom, and aronia berry (aka chokeberry). The base gin is composed of unspecified grain neutral spirits.

Boulder’s Randy Miller creates award-winning Scottish Kings Gin

Scottish Kings Gin, crafted over the course of three years by Boulder resident and multiple-newspaper owner Randy Miller, hit the market in 2019 and since then has managed to rack up awards and receive warranted praise from connoisseurs, critics and consumers. (Miller was publisher of Boulder’s Colorado Daily, sister paper to the Daily Camera, for years in the early 2000s.)

It took three different distilleries and hundreds of tests to get the smooth and subtly finished liquor — a mix of 11 botanicals that work together to achieve six vital flavor categories — just right.

SCOTTISH KINGS GIN IS AN INSTANT WINNER

Scottish Kings, an ultra-premium gin owned in Boulder and distilled in the Scottish Highlands, was recently introduced in Colorado.

Almost immediately it received top awards in worldwide competitions, receiving a Double Gold Medal from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Scottish Kings Gin was called “among the finest products in the world.” It was also awarded an “Exceptional” 93 Point rating and a Gold Medal from The International Review of Spirits.

Scottish Kings was created with one mission in mind: “To create the most desirable gin in history.”

Sip Awards international spirits competition 2019 - Scottish kings awarded gold medal

“We started the SIP Awards because we believe that spirits should be judged by those who enjoy them, and not just by those who have a vested interest or bias in selling them” - SIP Awards Founder & CEO Paul Hashemi

The SIP Awards 146 judges are selected to ensure demographic diversity and screened for any potential spirit brand affiliation. A proprietary algorithm is used to mitigate any palate inconsistencies. The results for the amazing diversity of entries, ranging anywhere from $2 a bottle to $1,600 a bottle, are judged specifically by industry outsiders. The 2019 SIP Awards boasts a record 977 different brands competing for six award tiers across 93 different categories

Westword - How a Boulder Newspaper Man Launched His Own Scottish Gin

Miller sought to create a gin balanced with all six points of the gin tasting wheel: juniper, citrus, floral, heat, spice and herb. The flavor of his gin is crisp, smooth and citrus-forward, with a nice floral backbone. There's no sharp juniper bite and no singular essence that overpowers the others; "balanced," in this case, is the perfect word. Scottish Kings, at 46 percent alcohol, an intentional choice, is also higher than the more typical 40 percent.

"We didn't go to make an expensive gin; it's just what happened due to the procedure," Miller says of his bottles, which retail for about $58 each. "This is a real farm-to-table gin, and everything is done by hand."

303 Magazine - “FARM TO BOTTLE” GIN FOUNDED IN COLORADO RECEIVES GOLD MEDALS FOLLOWING JANUARY RELEASE

A few short months after hitting the market, Boulder’s Scottish Kings gin has delighted the palates of spirit connoisseurs across the country. This “farm to bottle” gin is the brainchild of founder Randy Miller, a career-journalist from Boulder, Colorado who spent three years developing the clean, botanically-balanced flavor of Scottish Kings. 

While the spirit comes from a small, family-owned, Boulder-based company, it is actually distilled on a rural farm in the Scottish Highlands using only high-quality botanicals and Scottish waters eminent for their purity…

San Francisco World Spirits Competition - Scottish Kings awarded Double Gold Medal

The 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition was held at the Hotel Nikko, San Francisco from March 22nd through March 24th. The 2019 Competition was another record-breaking year that featured almost 3,000 entries from all corners of the world.

With nearly two decades of experience, the SFWSC has become one of the world’s most respected spirits competitions due in large part to our esteemed judges. Each with a distinct story and trusted palate, these seasoned experts are one of the reasons an SFWSC medal indicates the highest caliber of quality.

Double Gold medals are awarded to the entries that receive a Gold medal rating by all members of the judging panel; these are among the finest products in the world.

Beverage Testing Institute: Scottish Kings Highland Dry Gin, 93 Points, gold medal, “Exceptional”

Tastings, powered by the Beverage Testing Institute, was founded in 1981 with the goal of producing fair, impartial wine reviews for consumers. This philosophy still holds true today and has since expanded to include beer and spirits. 

Over the years, our reviews have appeared in publications such as Wine Enthusiast, Restaurant Hospitality, The New Yorker, CNBC, Wine & Spirits, International Wine Review, Epicurious.com, All About Beer, and many others.

Tastings is an independent product rating and review company that provides beverage buying guides and education for consumers and the trade. We are a certified member of the American Society of Testing and Materials. Our mission is to help you discover and understand drinks you will love.

The gin is in - 2019 gold medal ★★★★ ½

The Romantic author Robert Burns once wrote, “Chasing the wild-deer, and following the roe, My heart’s in the Highlands, wherever I go.” Andrew Kerry of The Guardian was also inspired, “To me, it’s the most beautiful place on Earth,” but adds that it’s also “raw” and “forbidding.” Scottish Kings Gin founder Randy Miller was similarly inspired. But within its “untamed” and “mythical” majesty he found a different kind of inspiration than Kerry and Burns. Whereas those men put pen to paper; Randy put juniper berries into a still…

To the palate, the gin takes you on a bit of a journey. The flavors unfold gradually on the palate and remains vivid into a warm finish.

Quietly warm at first sip, the first flavor that hits the palate is a bit fruity. Orange zest and rose hips early, juniper does rise mid-palate. At first the pine notes seem a bit reticent, but they grow from the edges of the palate becoming more resinous and bold.

303 Magazine - WHERE TO DRINK GIN IN DENVER

Now, more than ever, gin has emerged as an unexpected star on cocktail lists across the country. Furthermore, it only makes sense that here in the Mile High City, gin is popping up everywhere from eclectic dance clubs to lavish cocktail lounges. Curious imbibers may now have their gin and tonic served from a gleaming cart filled with various botanicals and accouterments, or try a unique cocktail with craft gin from a local distillery.

The Lowdown: This impressive newcomer may not be distilled in Colorado, however, the Boulder-based brand came about from a passionate husband and wife team who took three years of recipe development to create a distinctly balanced premium gin which is imported from the Scottish Highlands whilst preserving the tradition and craft. Amazingly, Coloradans are among the first who may experience it.