The Botanist Gin
Modern Gin
The Botanist // Islay, Scotland
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Cost
If you're not a Scotch whisky drinker, you very likely have never heard of a man named Jim McEwan. Jim spent 38 years with Bowmore and held every job there from apprentice cooper to Distillery Manager. In 2001, he left Bowmore to reopen Bruichladdich as their Master Distiller. Along with the dozens of single malt bottlings he created, he wanted to distill a gin that reflects his home of Islay, the island he loves. The Botanist is a gin comprised of 9 standard botanicals and an additional 22 that were hand-foraged from Islay itself--botanicals like apple mint, heather, red clover, and meadowsweet among many others. The gin is distilled over 17 hours in a Lomond Still (a hybrid column + pot still). It is bottled at 46% ABV.
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ageNAS
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abv46.0
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Modern GinAlso has been referred to as "Contemporary", "New Western", "New Wave", and "New American". This style is not legally defined. In general, this category of gin, while it does contain juniper, places less of an emphasis on this botanical. Other botanicals not classically used in London Dry gins are often utilized and often highlight botanicals grown in the region the gin is produced. Most produced as either London Dry or Distilled Gins.
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Cask Typeunaged
Tasting Notes
"With all of the botanicals used, it can take a while to move from nosing to tasting as there is a lot to discover. The key things that will stick with you are a fresh, lemony aroma coupled with spring flowers and a touch of mint. As you taste, the gin is clean and not too oily with more of the lemon floral notes sticking out. The juniper certainly falls to a background player here, but this gin, even with the dozens of botanicals used, doesn't get muddied. This is a gin that would work wonders in a sour or Collins preparation."
Reviewed by
Stephanie Moreno