Cygnet 77 Cask Aged Welsh Dry Gin Manuka Honey Welsh Whisky Barrels 88 Proof 700ml

In numerology and spirituality, the number 77 represents profound awakening, heightened intuition, and a connection to inner wisdom. It is a sign, in the tradition that the Cygnet founders specifically drew upon when naming this expression, to trust the journey and embrace evolution. For a gin, this is an unusual framing. It is also an entirely honest one.

The Cygnet 77 is what the Cygnet range becomes when the journey is trusted completely. The Welsh Dry Gin is the beginning — 12 botanicals, citrus-forward, vibrant and crisp. The Cygnet 22 is the deepening — 10 additional botanicals layered over the foundational 12, vapor-infused Manuka honey adding the silk and the depth that makes it genuinely sippable. And the Cygnet 77 is the evolution — the Cygnet 22's award-winning 22-botanical liquid, rested for 55 weeks in ex-Welsh whisky barrels infused with additional Manuka honey, transformed from a complex gin into something that sits at the specific intersection of gin's botanical beauty and whisky's barrel-derived warmth and depth. "A complex, woody riff on the original that retains the sweet smoothness of the Manuka honey spirit note," CaskCartel's description confirms. "A gin that bridges the gap between botanical freshness and the rich depth of a dark spirit."

The spirit was launched at Harrods in London's Baccarat Bar on World Earth Day in April 2025 — housed in the Eirlys decanter, a hand-blown vessel shaped like a water droplet, inspired by the Welsh spring water used in distillation, designed specifically for repurposing as a vase, candlestick holder, or carafe. Deep golden amber. Juniper, chamomile, and caramelised Manuka honey on the palate. A full-bodied, silky-smooth finish with lingering Manuka sweetness. The Cygnet journey, complete.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Cygnet was founded in 2022 by Katherine Jenkins OBE and filmmaker Andrew Levitas — the classical singer whose voice-protective Manuka honey habit became the founding ingredient of the brand's most premium expression, and the creative partner whose understanding of luxury, sustainability, and visual storytelling shaped every element of the Cygnet portfolio from the Welsh Dry Gin through the 22 and now the 77. Every production decision — the Welsh spring water, the Penderyn Copperworks Distillery in Swansea, the copper Faraday still, the hand-blown Eirlys decanter — reflects both founders' specific ambition to produce something genuinely worthy of the word luxury rather than simply priced to suggest it.

The Cygnet 77 begins exactly where the Cygnet 22 ends: the 22-botanical award-winning liquid that the Gin Masters 2024 Gold confirmed as the finest expression of the Cygnet botanical philosophy at 44% ABV. That liquid — already containing juniper, coriander, almond, angelica root, orris root, cardamom, lime peel, liquorice, orange peel, chamomile flower, lemon peel, pink grapefruit, Manuka honey, bee pollen, calendula, hibiscus, heather, rose petals, white peppercorns, sea salt, lemon balm, and cassia bark — then enters ex-Welsh whisky barrels infused with additional Manuka honey for 55 weeks of maturation.

The Welsh whisky barrels are the specific and most commercially significant production detail: sourced from Penderyn — Wales's most celebrated whisky distillery, whose single malt expressions are among the most critically acclaimed in the British Isles — the ex-whisky casks carry the specific character of Penderyn's Madeira-finish and other wine-cask-influenced maturation program. The oak deposits warmth, depth, and a subtle woody character into the 22-botanical gin over the 55-week rest period, transforming the clear, complex Cygnet 22 into the deep golden amber spirit that emerges from the barrel. The additional Manuka honey infused into the barrels alongside the gin intensifies the honey's contribution beyond what the vapor-infused version of the Cygnet 22 delivers — the physical Manuka present in the barrel space throughout the maturation, its aromatic compounds continuing to integrate with the botanical gin across the full 55 weeks.

The Eirlys decanter is the Cygnet 77's most visually specific and most sustainably purposeful packaging decision: hand-blown glass in the shape of a water droplet, inspired by Welsh spring water's specific importance to the Cygnet production, designed from its inception to be repurposed rather than discarded. Eirlys — the Welsh word for snowdrop, the first flower of the Welsh spring — gives the decanter a name that is both locally specific and cosmically resonant with the Cygnet brand's founding philosophy.

Critics Reviews

No widely published numerical critic scores are available for the Cygnet 77 at this time given its April 2025 launch. The following confirmed tasting notes represent every published characterization of the expression:

Cygnet Distillery official tasting notes: Nose: "A refined, fragrant bouquet evoking blooming meadows and fresh blossom, hinting at the rich botanical infusion within." Palate: "The bold presence of juniper is beautifully complemented by gentle chamomile and the caramelised essence of Manuka honey. The Welsh Whisky Oak Barrels impart a subtle woody character, enhancing the gin's depth and sophistication." Finish: "Full-bodied with a silky-smooth texture, the lingering sweetness of Manuka honey ensures a truly indulgent sipping experience."

The Spirits Business (launch coverage, April 2025): "Flavours of juniper, chamomile, caramelised Manuka honey and woody notes. Cygnet 77 spent 12 months in Welsh whisky barrels."

CaskCartel: "A complex, woody riff on the original that retains the sweet smoothness of the Manuka honey spirit note."

The Luxe Review: "Soft, meadow-like aroma, with hints of chamomile and spring blossom on the nose. Classic juniper, mellow caramelised honey, and delicate oak spice on the palate. Blends floral elegance with cask-aged richness."

Liquor Geeks: "Designed more for sipping neat or with minimal ice, as the wood influence and mellowed botanicals reward contemplative enjoyment. Manuka honey softens the edges of the juniper backbone and adds subtle sweetness and warmth. A maturation period that fundamentally shifts the spirit's character."

Andrew Levitas, co-founder: "Cygnet 77 is yet another example of how we disbanded with convention from the outset, bravely daring to push the boundaries of what can be achieved by luxury brands in general."

Tasting Profile

Nose Deep golden amber with warm copper highlights — 55 weeks in ex-Welsh whisky barrels transforming the clear Cygnet 22 into a spirit of genuinely whisky-adjacent visual richness. The nose opens with the specific combination that the Welsh whisky barrel maturation and the additional Manuka honey infusion together produce: blooming meadows and fresh blossom arrive first — the 22-botanical foundation's most delicate and most specifically Welsh aromatic qualities, the heather and chamomile and rose petals now slightly softened and slightly deepened by 55 weeks of barrel contact rather than sharp and immediate as in the unaged Cygnet 22. Juniper remains present beneath the floral complexity — the gin's foundational aromatic character preserved through the maturation rather than overwhelmed by it. Caramelised Manuka honey adds the most specifically distinctive and most luxurious secondary aromatic quality: not raw honey sweetness but the warm, slightly burnt-caramel, slightly earthy quality that Manuka specifically produces when its aromatic compounds are concentrated and aged alongside spirit in an oak vessel. Woody notes from the Welsh whisky barrels add the most specifically gin-to-whisky bridging aromatic contribution — subtle, warm, and adding depth without transforming the expression into something that reads as whisky rather than gin. Chamomile adds gentle floral warmth. Bee pollen adds the slightly waxy, slightly nutty quality that threads through both Cygnet 22 and 77 as the most specifically apian secondary dimension.

Palate Bold, warm, and silky — the 55-week maturation's most directly and most dramatically apparent palate contribution. Juniper arrives first with the bold, confident presence that the 44% ABV and the barrel aging together produce — the wood's mellowing effect having softened the botanical's more aggressive edges while preserving its fundamental gin identity. Chamomile blends beautifully with the warmth, adding the gentle floral character that is both botanically specific and aesthetically appropriate for a spirit rested with Manuka honey. The caramelised essence of Manuka honey is the palate's most immediately memorable and most specifically luxurious quality: warm, slightly viscous, with the specific caramelised depth that additional Manuka honey in the barrel produces across 55 weeks of integration — more developed and more physically present than the vapor-infused Manuka of the Cygnet 22. The Welsh whisky oak barrels' contribution is most apparent at the mid-palate: a subtle woody character adding depth and sophistication without the direct wood tannin of older or more heavily charred barrels. The 22-botanical complexity is most detectable in the layering of the palate's progression — the citrus notes, the spice, the herbal dimension all present and contributing without any single element dominating.

Finish Full-bodied, silky-smooth, and Manuka-persistent. The lingering sweetness of Manuka honey is the finish's most defining and most specifically indulgent quality — warmer and more sustained than the Cygnet 22's finish, the physical Manuka's 55-week barrel integration having deposited a lasting impression that neither the vapor-infused version nor the Welsh Dry achieves. Juniper and chamomile fade alongside the Manuka's warmth before the woody notes from the Welsh whisky barrels provide the structural close. Full-bodied throughout the finish — the most specifically whisky-adjacent quality the Cygnet range produces — resolving into the "truly indulgent sipping experience" that the official tasting note promises and delivers.

Quick Overview

Serving & Occasion

Neat in the Eirlys decanter pour — the official recommendation confirmed by every published tasting note. The wood influence and mellowed botanicals "reward contemplative enjoyment" in the Liquor Geeks reviewer's most accurate characterization — this is not a cocktail gin but a sipping gin of the highest order. Allow 10 minutes of rest in the glass for the caramelised Manuka, chamomile, and woody oak notes to open fully. The 44% ABV warmth is present and entirely appropriate for the depth the barrel maturation adds.

On the rocks — a single large ice cube slows the experience and opens the Manuka honey's more delicate aromatic qualities as temperature drops — particularly effective for revealing the heather and rose petal botanical dimensions beneath the more dominant juniper and honey character.

The Golden Martini — the official Cygnet 77 serve. 2 oz Cygnet 77 · ¼ oz dry vermouth. Stirred over ice, served up in a chilled coupe, gold leaf garnish or honey-dipped lemon twist. The cask-aged amber and the Manuka warmth make the most visually dramatic and the most aromatically luxurious martini available from any Welsh gin in any market.

Cocktail Suggestions

The Golden Martini (the official serve) 2 oz Cygnet 77 · ¼ oz dry vermouth. Stirred over ice, served up in a chilled coupe. The warm amber color, the caramelised Manuka honey, and the woody Welsh whisky oak character make this the most visually distinctive and the most specifically luxurious gin martini in the Blackwell's range.

Cygnet 77 Old Fashioned 2 oz Cygnet 77 · 1 tsp honey syrup · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · orange peel. Stirred over large ice. The cask-aged gin's whisky-adjacent character and the Manuka honey depth align perfectly with the Old Fashioned format — the most natural crossover serve for a gin that genuinely bridges the gin-whisky divide.

Welsh Valley Negroni 1 oz Cygnet 77 · 1 oz Campari · 1 oz sweet vermouth. Stirred over ice, expressed orange peel. The cask-aged warmth and botanical complexity carry through Campari's bitterness and vermouth's herbal sweetness in a Negroni of unusual amber depth — the most whisky-like gin Negroni available.