Whisky Focus - The Botanist Islay Gin From Bruichladdich

Islay, the Scottish island famous for its whisky, now has an artisanal gin.

Bruichladdich, renowned for their single malts, has distilled The Botanist, a gin with true island pedigree. It is flavoured by an unprecedented total of 31 botanicals, 22 of which (including juniper) are native to the Hebridean island.

An absurdly slow ‘simmer-distillation’, three times longer than usual, on a unique "Lomond" still known affectionately as Ugly Betty, has produced a full textured and floral flavour profile for this decidedly dry gin.

An Islay ‘gin’ may not be that novel: clandestine Hebridean distillers of old also used hillside aromatic plants such as bog myrtle and juniper to improve the taste of poorly distilled, Illicit usquebaugh - the Gaelic for ‘water of life’.

Usquebaugh, the original whisky, was a clear spirit and probably tasted more like gin than the single malt whisky we know today.

2,500 cases (6/1) of The Botanist, bottled on Islay at 46% with Islay spring water, have been released for sale at at £25.95 per 70cl bottle. Available from www.laddieshop.com
 

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