Here's my take on a couple of gins that I enjoy. I have to admit I'd be hard pressed if pushed to decide which I love more, gin or whiskey. Fortunately I don't have to decide, so I'll just continue to enjoy an afternoon martini or Manhattan as conditions dictate. Life is too short for such choices! I don't drink gin neat. I'm a martini guy. Up or on the rocks, as the muse dictates. Sometimes with a twist, sometimes an olive or two. Every now and then I might go the route of the Gibson. My preferred vermouth is Dolin Extra Dry, but I love to experiment. Speaking of which, a few drops of black pepper tincture can completely change a martini and makes putting a garlic or blue cheese stuffed olive in the glass completely understandable. For this comparison I've taste both of these gins neat from a glencairn. Both bottles are 3/4 full and have been open for several weeks. The liquor was allowed to rest for several minutes after the pour. Botanivore is crystal clear and offers very little sheeting and small, quick tears on a swirl. The nose offers a sharp ethanol note. After a bit of rest I get citrus, lemons in particular. There’s also notes of juniper, dry cilantro, coriander, tarragon, green leaves, earth and some floral notes. Overall the nose is very light, playful and not terribly intimidating. The Botanist’s nose is sweeter, equally light and approachable. I get more anise, cloves, and light herbal elements. The Botanist and the Botanivore are very similar, but the former doesn’t have the earthy almost mushroom-like notes I find in the latter. Like the Botanivore, the Botanist is also crystal clear but it shows significantly more sheeting and larger tears on a swirl. On the palate the Botanivore is slightly sweet and a touch antiseptic. It has a soft entry, nuanced middle and long, warming clove and ginger finish with good staying power. There are elements of mushroom and earth. This is quite sophisticated, very clean and easy to drink neat or in a martini. The Botanist turns up the volume on the Botanivore. It opens just a little sweeter, a bit more licorice in the body, is both complex and floral. In a side-by-side the earthy, mushroomy notes are conspicuous by absence. The finish is shorter and slightly less spicy, but the mouthfeel is a bit creamier. This is one of my favorite martini gins of all time. The two gins are very similar in the glass and I enjoy both. It might be challenging to tell them apart in a cocktail. That’s tough to admit since The Botanist is at least 25% more expensive than the Botanivore in my market, but it’s also easier to source. The Botanivore has a richer, more earthy and full flavor profile. Its flavors hit the back of the tongue while the Botanist is more to the front. I'm almost willing to say its more complex, but that's not entirely accurate either. The Botanist has tremendous depth of flavor, but it leans in a slightly different direction. Bottom line is this: you can't go wrong with either and that's why I'll likely keep both in my regular gin rotation. Cheers!