Cygnet 22 Welsh Dry Gin Distilled With Manuka Honey 88 Proof 700ml

The name explains the ambition with complete precision. Twenty-two botanicals. Not twelve — the already impressive 12-botanical citrus-forward program of the Cygnet Welsh Dry Gin — but twenty-two. Ten additional botanicals layered over the foundational twelve, each chosen by Katherine Jenkins OBE and distiller Chris Sadler with the specific purpose of producing something that the Welsh Dry cannot achieve: a gin of greater complexity, greater depth, and the one ingredient that Jenkins describes with a singer's specific appreciation for its qualities.

"Manuka honey is my secret ingredient," Katherine Jenkins says. "I use it to take care of my voice." The New Zealand Manuka honey — one of the world's most specifically prized and most medicinally regarded honeys, produced by bees foraging on the Manuka tree (Leptospermum scoparium) in New Zealand's remote bush regions — is not added to the Cygnet 22 as a sweetener. It is vapor-infused into the final distillate, meaning the essence of Manuka — its aromatic compounds, its specific character, its natural warmth — makes its way into the gin through the vapor phase of distillation without any of its physical sweetness. The result is what the Gin Guild describes most accurately: "Manuka honey results in a soft smooth finish that ensures Cygnet 22 can be enjoyed neat or on the rocks." Not a honey gin. A gin with Manuka's soul.

The additional nine botanicals beyond Manuka honey — calendula, cassia bark, white peppercorns, bee pollen, lemon balm, sea salt, rose petals, hibiscus, and heather — are the specific botanical palette that Jenkins and Levitas chose to construct a gin of the complexity they describe as "the world's most luxurious gin." The Gin Masters 2024 awarded Gold. The Global Spirits Masters Competition judges agreed. And Chris Sadler's copper Faraday still at the Penderyn Copperworks Distillery in Swansea produced the result: "the most refined bouquet of botanicals you'll ever get to sip."

Origins & Craftsmanship

Cygnet was founded in 2022 by Katherine Jenkins OBE — Welsh mezzo-soprano, holder of the most number-one classical albums in UK chart history, performer for the Queen, the Pope, and presidents — and filmmaker Andrew Levitas, whose creative partnership with Jenkins extends from gin to broader cultural projects. The brand's founding philosophy — luxury with sustainability, excellence with purpose — is most specifically expressed in the Cygnet 22: the expression that the brand positions as "the ultimate expression of modern luxury" and "the natural progression for Cygnet after distilling the most luxurious bottle of gin."

Production takes place at the Penderyn Copperworks Distillery in Swansea — a historic copper works site in Wales that also houses the Penderyn Welsh Whisky program — using the copper Faraday still operated by Chris Sadler, sixth-generation distiller whose family's multi-generational connection to distilling craft provides the technical precision that 22-botanical production demands. The Cygnet 22's botanical complexity is the most demanding production challenge in the Cygnet range: 22 different botanical contributions requiring precise timing, precise quantities, and the specific expertise to balance a botanical chorus of this scope into something harmonious rather than chaotic.

The botanical program begins with the Cygnet Welsh Dry's established 12: juniper, coriander, almond, angelica root, orris root, cardamom, lime peel, liquorice, orange peel, chamomile flower, lemon peel, and pink grapefruit peel. Ten additional botanicals extend the program: calendula — the marigold flower, adding warm golden-floral complexity; cassia bark — the Asian cousin of cinnamon, adding a warm, slightly exotic spice; white peppercorns — adding the clean, precise pepper heat that black pepper's earthier cousin produces most distinctly; bee pollen — adding a slightly waxy, slightly nutty complexity that bridges the honey theme without adding sweetness; lemon balm — adding a softer, slightly medicinal herbal lemon note distinct from the lemon peel already present; sea salt — adding mineral salinity that the Welsh coastal terroir provides most naturally; rose petals — adding the most perfumed and most specifically romantic floral dimension; hibiscus — adding the tart, slightly berry-adjacent floral complexity; and heather — the most specifically and most exclusively Welsh botanical in the entire 22-botanical program, the Scottish and Welsh hillside plant whose subtle honey-and-herb character is the most distinctly regional contribution to the Cygnet 22's identity.

The Manuka honey is handled separately and specifically: vapor-infused into the final distillate rather than steeped or added post-distillation. The vapor infusion technique passes steam through Manuka honey before condensation, capturing the honey's most volatile aromatic compounds — the warmth, the slight medicinal quality, the specific character of Manuka's unique phytochemicals — without the physical sugar that would make the gin sweet rather than smooth. The result is what Katherine Jenkins specifically prizes in her personal use: the honey's beneficial aromatic qualities without the caloric sweetness.

Pure Welsh spring water is used throughout. The sustainable bottle — 50% less glass than standard spirit bottles, 100% plastic-free, removable organic ink labels designed for repurposing — carries the brand's environmental commitment into its most premium expression.

Critics Reviews

Global Spirits Masters Competition / Gin Masters 2024 — Gold Medal

The Spirits Business (GSMC judges): "Excitingly refreshing citrus oil and a nice aromatic flavour journey." (Both Cygnet expressions recognized.)

The Gin Guild official description: "The nose is evocative of blossom and the rolling valley meadows. Prominent juniper on the palette blends beautifully with gentle chamomile and caramelised honey. The Manuka honey results in a soft smooth finish that ensures Cygnet 22 can be enjoyed neat or on the rocks."

Calibre Magazine: "The juniper and herbs give a warming, slightly spiced flavour, which goes down very smoothly indeed. It is never overwhelming or harsh, balancing the ingredients well to give a flavour which melts from spices to citrus and vanilla with just a hint of sweetness."

Shortlist Magazine: "Steps up to an ultra-premium category courtesy of the addition of Manuka honey. Cygnet 22 is well worth a try — particularly if you're after a complex and well rounded gin that feels like something special."

Katherine Jenkins OBE: "Manuka honey is my secret ingredient — I use it to take care of my voice. I've included it in Cygnet 22 because Manuka's benefits are truly special."

Amazon (official product description): "The nose evokes the freshness of blossom and rolling valley meadows. On the palate, juniper takes centre stage, elegantly melding with gentle chamomile and caramelised honey. Manuka honey imparts a uniquely smooth, silky finish that lingers on the tongue, making Cygnet 22 an ideal sipping gin — enjoyable neat or on the rocks."

Cygnet Distillery official: "The most refined bouquet of botanicals you'll ever get to sip."

Tasting Profile

Nose Clear with brilliant luminosity at 44% ABV — the higher proof than the Welsh Dry immediately detectable as a slightly warmer presence on approach. The nose opens with the specific aromatic quality that the 22-botanical program and the Manuka honey vapor infusion together produce: blossom arrives first — fresh, slightly honey-adjacent, and evoking the rolling valley meadows of Wales in the specific way that the Gin Guild's description captures most poetically. Bright juniper follows with the foundational gin character, now slightly warmer and slightly more assertive at 44% than the 40% Welsh Dry delivers. The 12-botanical citrus program threads through with the four-citrus chord — lime, pink grapefruit, lemon, orange — but now accompanied by lemon balm's softer, slightly medicinal herbal lemon dimension that distinguishes the 22's citrus from the Welsh Dry's. Rose petals add the most perfumed and most romantic floral dimension — present and immediately beautiful. Hibiscus adds a tart, slightly berry-adjacent floral note. Heather adds the most distinctly Welsh and most specifically regional quality — subtle, slightly honey-and-herb, and entirely characteristic of Wales's hillside landscapes. Chamomile adds gentle floral warmth. Manuka honey's aromatic contribution is most detectable here — not as sweetness but as a warm, slightly medicinal, slightly exotic quality that adds depth without flavoring. Bee pollen adds waxy nuttiness. The overall nose is more complex, more layered, and more specifically luxurious than the Welsh Dry — the 10 additional botanicals each adding their specific dimension without overwhelming the foundational 12's established harmony.

Palate Smooth, warming, and silky — the Manuka honey vapor infusion's most immediately and most specifically apparent palate contribution. The 44% ABV delivers more warmth and more botanical presence than the 40% Welsh Dry without any harshness — the honey's aromatic quality moderating the additional alcohol into something particularly round and particularly smooth. Juniper takes centre stage at the palate entry with the warming, slightly spiced character that the Calibre reviewer found most immediately impressive — prominent and confident without dominating. Chamomile blends beautifully alongside, adding gentle floral warmth. Caramelised honey adds the most specifically Manuka-adjacent palate quality — not sweet but warm, slightly caramelised, and contributing the specific textural richness that vapor-infused honey adds to a distillate without physical sugar. Cassia bark adds the warm, slightly exotic spice that distinguishes the 22 from the Welsh Dry's cardamom-only warm spice. White peppercorns add clean, precise pepper heat. The flavour melts from spices to citrus and vanilla — the Calibre reviewer's most accurate palate trajectory description. Sea salt adds mineral salinity at the mid-palate. The texture is silky throughout — the Manuka vapor infusion's most directly physical and most specifically praised contribution across every review.

Finish Soft, smooth, and lingering — the Manuka honey's most enduring contribution at the close. The silky finish that the Gin Guild identifies as the expression's most specifically Manuka-derived quality is confirmed: longer and more luxurious than the Welsh Dry's dry, relatively short finish, the Cygnet 22's close sustaining itself with the warmth and the rose petal and heather botanical notes fading last. A hint of sweetness at the very end — the only moment where the Manuka's physical character arrives in the experience, and it arrives gently. "A warm and inviting hug" — the Shortlist reviewer's most human and most immediately resonant characterization.

Quick Overview

Serving & Occasion

Neat or on the rocks — the Cygnet 22's most specifically recommended serve and the one that the Manuka honey vapor infusion most rewards. Unlike the Welsh Dry whose dry, short finish makes it primarily a cocktail gin, the Cygnet 22's silky Manuka-influenced finish makes it genuinely superior as a sipping gin. A single large ice cube allows the 22 botanicals to open progressively as the temperature drops. No garnish required — the botanical complexity provides its own aromatic accompaniment.

Premium tonic — if mixing, a high-quality premium tonic with minimal flavor addition (Fever-Tree Indian or Mediterranean) allows the rose petal, heather, and Manuka honey character to lead through the carbonation without competition.

Luxury Martini — 2 oz Cygnet 22 + ¼ oz dry vermouth, stirred over ice, served up with a rose petal garnish or lemon twist. The Manuka honey's vapor-infused smoothness makes this the most specifically sippable martini in the Cygnet range — the rose petal garnish amplifying the most perfumed botanical in the 22-botanical program.

Cocktail Suggestions

The Cygnet 22 Martini (the luxury signature serve) 2 oz Cygnet 22 · ¼ oz dry vermouth. Stirred over ice, served up in a chilled coupe, rose petal garnish. The 22-botanical complexity and the Manuka smoothness make this the most elegant gin martini available from any Welsh producer — the dry vermouth barely present, the botanical richness carrying the whole experience.

Welsh Heather G&T 2 oz Cygnet 22 · Fever-Tree Mediterranean tonic · sprig of heather garnish. Built over ice in a Copa glass. The heather botanical echoed in the garnish — the most specifically Welsh and most distinctly regional serving occasion for the most Welsh botanical in the 22-botanical program.

Rose and Honey Spritz 1.5 oz Cygnet 22 · chilled Prosecco · splash of elderflower tonic · rose petal garnish. Built over ice in a wine glass. The rose petal, hibiscus, and Manuka honey aromatic warmth align naturally with Prosecco's floral effervescence — a light, luxurious spritz of genuine sophistication.