A South Wales-based gin distillery, located in the cellars of a 400-year-old castle, has celebrated its first birthday by being listed in the top 10% of tourist attractions worldwide, after having been awarded a 2022 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Award.

Hensol Castle Distillery, situated on the estate of the four-star Vale Resort, scooped the honour after receiving over 100 5* reviews from visitors, which were shared on TripAdvisor over the last 12 months. It is the highest honour the world's largest travel guidance platform can bestow.

Hensol Castle Distillery opened its visitor experience in September 2021, following a multi-million pound investment. As part of the tour, visitors can see the distillery in operation, learn about the history of gin and Hensol Castle, enjoy a gin tasting and a gin and tonic at the end of the tour. In the Gin School, visitors can distil and label their very own 70cl bottle of gin using ingredients of their choice. Stephanie Metson, marketing manager at Hensol Castle Distillery, says: “We’ve only been open for a year so to be awarded this top honour by TripAdvisor is extremely rewarding. We’re always working hard to make the experience for guests the very best it can be, and we look forward to seeing what the next 12 months hold.”

The TripAdvisor award comes hot on the heels of a clutch of other industry awards that Hensol Castle Distillery has secured over the past 12 months. It scooped Silver Medals at the London Spirits Competition in March [2022] for its two flavoured gins - The Wild Strawberry and Hibiscus Gin and the Blood Orange Zest Gin, while the Hensol Castle Welsh Dry Gin also won a gold medal at the Spirits Business Awards in December [2021].

To book a gin tour or gin-making experience at Hensol Castle Distillery, visit: https://www.hensolcastledistillery.com/gin-experiences/