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

Hensol Castle Distillery, situated on the estate of the four-star Vale Resort, scooped the honour after receiving top traveller reviews from visitors, which were shared on Tripadvisor over the last 12 months. It is the highest honour that 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.

Since it launched, Hensol Castle Distillery’s visitor experience has welcomed just under 10k visitors through the door from as far afield as Canada, USA and Germany, who have tasted more than 25k glasses of gin and distilled more than 2.5 million bottles.

Stephanie Metson, marketing manager at Hensol Castle Distillery, said:

“We’ve only been open for a year so to be awarded this top honour by Tripadvisor is extremely rewarding.

“Our talented team work tirelessly to offer a great experience to visitors, which has resulted in over 100 five-star Tripadvisor reviews, and this recognition is a real testament to their dedication, passion and enthusiasm.

“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].

Hensol Castle Distillery is South Wales’s first full-scale gin and spirits distillery and contract bottling plant and is the only distillery in a 17th century castle. Since starting production in spring 2019, it has enjoyed rapid growth, handling an ever-expanding order book for contract bottling; launching an on-trade collection of gins and vodkas as well as Trulo – its market-defining range of reduced calorie alcoholic drinks.

Hensol Castle Distillery’s range is now available throughout restaurants, pubs and bars in South Wales, including the Hardwick, Pasture and the Potted Pig restaurants, and it has struck sponsorship deals with Cardiff City Football Club and Glamorgan Cricket to become the official gin supplier of both clubs.

Kanika Soni, chief commercial officer at Tripadvisor, said:

“Congratulations to the 2022 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Winners.

“The Travelers’ Choice Awards recognise the best in tourism and hospitality, according to those who matter most. Ranking among the Travelers’ Choice winners is always tough — but never more so than this year, as we emerge from the pandemic. Whether it's using new technology, implementing safety measures or hiring outstanding staff, I’m impressed by the steps taken to meet travellers' new demands.”

To see visitor reviews of Hensol Castle Distillery, visit www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g1077133-d20223432-Reviews-Hensol_Castle_Distillery-Hensol_Vale_of_Glamorgan_South_Wales_Wales.html

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