The Botanist is a small-batch, artisanal Islay gin we use nine of the classic gin aromatics – orris root, cassia bark, coriander seed, etc. – and augment these with a heady harvest of 22 local botanicals, hand-picked by our expert foraging team from the windswept hills, peat bogs and Atlantic shores of this Hebridean island of Islay. This truly seasonal and exotic SERVE is then slow “simmer” distilled in our unique and cherished Lomond pot-still, affectionately known as “Ugly Betty”. Betty prefers to work at low-pressure and won’t be rushed. So our precious botanicals are slowly and gently coaxed into releasing their complex, signature aromatics. From that first, achingly-slow 17 hour distillation. The result: a highly distinctive, complex, floral gin with outstanding finish and impeccable provenance. In an age of re-badged industrial gins, the Botanist stands out as a truly artisanal, small-batch, hand-crafted labor of love and distiller’s art. A breath of botanical Islay in every glass.
The Botanist Gin is a progressive exploration of the botanical heritage of our Isle of Islay.
22 hand-foraged local botanicals delicately augment nine berries, barks, seeds and peels during an achingly slow distillation.
This first and only Islay Dry Gin is a rare expression of the heart and soul of our remote Scottish island home.
PALATE – The taste is rich and mellow; cool on entry then as it reaches the back palate you can feel the warmth and absolute purity of slow unhurried distillation.
NOSE – Sweet delicate menthol, apple mint, spring woodlands, juniper, coriander, lemon and orange peel, wild mint and summer meadows.
