Botanist Islay Dry Gin Navy Strength
The Botanist · Bruichladdich Distillery
Where the standard Botanist is approachable and delicate, this navy strength version demands engagement. The additional proof concentrates the 22 hand-foraged Islay botanicals into a more assertive, layered expression. It holds its ground in a Negroni and rewards contemplation neat.
Nose
Intense juniper and gorse flower hit immediately, followed by lemon zest and a waxy, herbaceous quality. Deeper sniffs reveal chamomile, orris root, and a distant whisper of peppery warmth. The higher proof amplifies every botanical.
Palate
Big and bold, with juniper pine leading a charge of coriander seed and angelica root. The mid-palate softens with meadowsweet and a lavender floral note, while grapefruit peel adds a citrus edge. The texture is oily and persistent.
Finish
Long and warming, with woody juniper, chamomile, and a lingering peppery heat.
- Style
- Navy Strength Dry Gin
- Botanicals
- Juniper, coriander, angelica root, orris root, chamomile, lemon balm, meadowsweet, gorse, lavender, and 13 additional foraged Islay botanicals
- Base Spirit
- Neutral grain spirit
- Distillation
- Slow vapor infusion on a unique Lomond pot still (Ugly Betty)
Cocktail Suggestion
Islay Gimlet — 2 oz Botanist Navy Strength · 0.75 oz fresh lime juice · 0.5 oz honey syrup (2:1) · Shake with ice, strain into a chilled coupe, garnish with a lime wheel.
Food Pairing
The gin's briny, herbaceous intensity complements the mineral sweetness of raw oysters, while the vinegar sharpness of mignonette echoes the citrus and peppery botanicals.
Distilled on a unique Lomond still named Ugly Betty at Bruichladdich on Islay, The Botanist uses 22 hand-foraged native botanicals from the island's windswept moors, bogs, and shoreline to create a gin rooted entirely in place.
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Bruichladdich The Botanist Islay Dry Gin Cask Aged
The Botanist
Taking the already place-driven Botanist and resting it in ex-Bruichladdich casks brings a new dimension. The wood doesn't overpower — it deepens. This is a gin that insists on its Islay identity at every turn, from wild botanicals foraged on the island to the whisky casks that finish the job.
Bruichladdich The Botanist Islay Dry Gin Navy Strength
The Botanist
The navy-strength sibling of The Botanist amplifies everything that makes the original compelling. The 22 hand-foraged Islay botanicals find sharper definition at 57%, and the gin rewards both neat sipping and powerful cocktail applications. Water opens it beautifully — try it with a single ice cube and watch the floral middle bloom.
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