Bruichladdich The Botanist Islay Dry Gin Navy Strength
The Botanist · Bruichladdich Distillery
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.
Nose
Intensely aromatic juniper — pine and resin — layered with chamomile, lemon zest, and a subtle meadowsweet sweetness. The higher proof carries the botanicals without burning.
Palate
Full-bodied and viscous, with juniper taking a greener, more herbaceous form. Orris root and angelica provide an earthy backbone, while grapefruit peel adds brightness. A gentle peppery warmth builds steadily.
Finish
Long and complex, with juniper lingering alongside coriander seed and a final whisper of lavender.
- Style
- Navy Strength Dry Gin
- Botanicals
- Juniper, chamomile, lemon balm, meadowsweet, gorse, elder, apple mint, water mint, red clover, white clover, heather, bog myrtle, tansy, mugwort, lady's bedstraw, sweet cicely, spearmint, thyme, wood sage, creeping thistle, downy birch, hawthorn
- Base Spirit
- Wheat neutral spirit
- Distillation
- Slow distillation in a Lomond pot still
Cocktail Suggestion
Islay Gimlet — 2 oz The Botanist Navy Strength · 0.75 oz fresh lime juice · 0.5 oz chamomile honey syrup · Shake hard with ice, double strain into a chilled coupe, garnish with a chamomile flower.
Food Pairing
Smoked salmon blinis with dill crème fraîche
Distilled in a unique Lomond still nicknamed 'Ugly Betty' at Bruichladdich on Islay, this navy-strength expression uses 22 botanicals hand-foraged from the island's bogs, shores, and hillsides.
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