James May floors fans with huge career announcement after end of The Grand Tour

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James May has confirmed that he's launching a new gin - but its name will for now remain a mystery.

He revealed that six months have been devoted to sampling flavours in the freezing shed in the hope of creating the perfect concoction - and now it's fans' turns to try the "mystery bottle" out. Fans who head to his website and buy the new offering ahead of the general public will be told the name of the product before anyone else - but they've been urged to keep it a closely-guarded secret.

A link has been published on James' website to buy bottles for £36.95. The description reads: "Many long and cold hours have been spent in Hugh’s freezing shed over the last six months sampling complex recipes and then re-sampling them just in case. As one of our best customers, we’d like to give you the opportunity to be of the first to try it (and tell us what you think)."

The message continues: "We’re not announcing the new gin until next week - so you’ll be the first to see the name and discover what it tastes like. There will only be a limited number of bottles available at this stage so order yours now and be one of the first to pour yourself a glass."

James signed off with the warning: "You’ll be in on the secret - so please resist the temptation to publicise the name before we officially launch." He has now taken to Twitter to share the link to the "mystery bottle with the mystery flavour", urging: "We’ve made a new gin. We’re not revealing the name yet. But you can buy it. If you’re brave enough."

James May starred in The Grand Tour until it ended this year (Image: GETTY)

The special introductory price is expected to be slightly cheaper than the amount that will be charged post-launch.

It's one of 13 products on his website - and he's vowed that all of the gin varieties are "obviously" better than Jeremy Clarkson's Hawkstone beer, cheekily quipping: "Lager is for louts."

He unveiled his sense of humour again in the FAQs section of the gin site, when he answered the self-posed question: "What is it with people who were once on the telly or in a film or something that they think they can now make a gin or a cheese or a sustainable plant-based chutney and the rest of us should flock to buy it?"

James then joked in response: "Thank you for your enquiry. We are experiencing an unusually high volume of enquiries at present. Why not chat to us on line? Maybe later."

He added that it was one of " the questions that people ask us all the time and we can't be bothered to answer by email".

James and Jeremy's rivalry is renowned, with the latter recently burning an "effigy" on Bonfire Night that many fans joked looked a lot like James - or possibly Donald Trump.

It looks like the new gin flavour has piqued interest, with one suggesting: "Whatever it is, I want it."

Another fan teased: "I'd leave it a mystery...that way, you can change it at will and freak people out!"

Perhaps in a reference to former co-star Jeremy Clarkson's Bollocks candle, another fan chimed in: "You haven't actually thought of a name, have you? I got one. Satan's Testes."