The Botanist Islay Gin

let’s begin

An exciting development from the Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay, we can definitely say their gin is as good as their whisky.

Lots to live up

Bruichladdich are very well known for their whisky. It is the epitome of an Islay dram – full nuance as well as big bold flavours. A lot of what they focus on at Bruichladdich comes down terroir, which is a term often used in wine making. It means that every aspect of the environment in which the whisky is made is important to the final flavour. This also includes the barley and water that are used, right down to the soil it is grown in.

They also turned their hand to gin distilling, and the results are as brilliant as with their whisky. Again, they are looking at hyper-local ingredients, with a particular focus on botanicals from the isle of Islay itself.

The Botanist Gin

This gin is made using 22 botanicals, hand foraged from Islay, alongside 9 others (different types of peels, bark and seeds) to create a full flavoured spirit. That’s a hell of a lot of botanicals. But it works. This is an intriguingly complex gin with lots of different flavours going on. From the website, we can glean that the 9 extra botanicals include coriander, cassia, juniper, cinnamon, orange, lemon, angelica root, liquorice and orris root.

The others are more mysterious, but they are all from Islay. This is an exciting way to create a gin that is representative of exactly where it comes from, and we would expect no less from Bruichladdich.

Tasting notes for The Botanist Gin

Bottle cost: £27.46

The nose is full of earth and seaside notes. Juniper brings in a menthol note with hints of pine needles and slight bitterness. Citrus peel plays an important role here in adding a crisp sweetness.

The palate is complex and bursting with flavours. There is a gentle spice that mixes well with the citrus notes. The seaside flavours really swell here and make the gin slightly herbal. Juniper takes the lead.

The finish is bright and citrussy, with a final note of sea salt.

The Botanist is an exciting exploration of Islay and of gin. It’s great to see that Bruichladdich were able to transfer their whisky making ethos so smoothly and innovatively over to their gin.

What do you think of The Botanist Gin? Let us know in the comments!

Tags: Bruichladdich DistilleryGinIslayIslay Ginthe botanistWhisky

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.