The Botanist Dry Islay Gin Review And Tasting Notes

The Botanist Gin is one of the most exhilarating and complex spirits you can find on the market. It is a very particular and multifaceted distillate, endowed with infinite and brash aromatic explosiveness. It is not a direct and spartan gin like the Bulldog, ethereal like the Aviation, or dapper like the Monkey 47.

Or at least, it resembles the Monkey 47 in ambition, for all the aromas of berries, woods, spices and flowers, but it is much more biting.

This peculiarity seems to be its principal merit, but at the same time, the primary defect: either you hate or love it, some lover of clichés might say.

In reality, it is structured and Pindaric gin, but never monolithic: you just have to be patient with “yourself.”

The first approach is extreme, unsettling, but then your palate will learn to recognize and appreciate a thousand shades, the incredible pungent flavors that lead to a lysergic experience.

Or you will simply continue to hate it: very simple.

But why is it so challenging? Because it wants to represent a territory, the island of Islay! Yes, precisely the one where the peatiest whiskies are made.

It was born as an ambitious gin that can distill various “suggestions,” 22 botanicals among herbs, flowers, berries, roots and spices, in a flow of pleasure that knows how to tell a story on the palate too.

In all fairness, it is splendid: indeed it is one of the best gins ever produced. It dares and climbs peaks of taste that others don’t even dare to peek at from afar, but it does so with precision and commendable harmony.

The reason is straightforward: Islay is distillation heaven and the Bruichladdich distillery is an outstanding producer. And secondly, the island of Islay itself is an incredible source for collecting unique botanicals. If you do one plus one, in this case, it comes out 1000.

The botanicals of The Botanist gin are 22, among which we find: coriander, cardamom, citrus, wild thistle, juniper, broom, heather (in perfect Scottish style) and many others.

The bouquet

Explosive nose: an icy supernova crashes on a spicy background, where seas of flowers and wild herbs bloom. Well-dosed juniper, pepper in evidence, ginger and citrus cut like ice sabers. Erica is always present with her caressing tone. In a word, it is a kaleidoscope, but it is never intricate or introverted. Each perfume is dosed with elegance. Fabulous persistence.

What does The Botanist Gin taste like?

On the palate, it is very sharp and pungent but never rude. The structure is gigantic and rocky, but the filigree of the distillation is silky. It immediately opens on the tongue with spicy lashes of pepper and juniper. The freshness is excellent and brightly plays down a thousand flavors that alternate between woods and spices. Impressive persistence with a very long finish that fades into alpine herbs and exotic tones of coconut and mint.

Price

Fifty-five euros: it’s not cheap, but it’s worth it, it’s a perfectly made distillate.

What cocktails to make with The Botanist Gin

All the great classic cocktails: Gin and Tonic, Bramble, Ramos Gin Fizz, Singapore Sling, Negroni, Tuxedo, Bronx, Gin Fizz, Dry Martini, Tom Collins, French 75. It’s so good you can drink it neat or with any juice.