This article contains promotional content .(September 2020) |
Type | Gin |
---|---|
Manufacturer | Bruichladdich |
Country of origin | Islay, Scotland |
Introduced | 2011 |
Alcohol by volume | 46% |
Colour | Clear |
Flavour | 31 botanicals: 22 hand-foraged botanicals from the Isle of Islay and 9 core gin botanicals |
Website | The Botanist Islay Dry Gin |
The Botanist is a dry gin made by the Bruichladdich Distillery in Islay, Scotland. It is one of two gins made on the island and is known for its hand-foraged botanicals. [1] The name of the gin was inspired by two local botanists who helped develop the recipe for the gin alongside former Master Distiller, Jim McEwan. [2] In 2024 it was ranked the seventh-bestselling brand of gin in the world by Drinks International. [3]
The Botanist gin is distilled after an overnight maceration of nine base botanicals (the seed, berry, bark, root, and peel categories) in 100% wheat spirit and Islay spring water. The alcohol vapor infusion from the distillation then passes through a botanical basket containing the collected leaves and petals. This double infusion gives the Botanist gin its distinct flavor.
The Botanist is slow distilled in the Lomond still "Ugly Betty," one of the last in existence.[ citation needed ] The distillation takes 17 hours. [4]
Developed after World War II, to meet the growing demand for single malt whiskies, the Lomond still was an experimental design that crossed a column and a pot still. It was created in 1955 by chemical engineer, Alistair Cunningham, and draftsman, Arthur Warren, to be a "one-stop-shop" with the ability to make a variety of whiskies. [5]
Tom Morton described Ugly Betty in his book Spirit of Adventure as "An over-sized, upside-down dustbin made of copper." [6] [7]
Two types of juniper are used, including prostrate juniper ( Juniperus communis subspecies) which grows in the exposed sea level habitats of the Rhinns of Islay. Only a symbolic amount of Juniperus communis is added.[ clarification needed ]
The Islay spring water, from which this gin is made, comes from "Dirty Dottie’s spring" on Octomore farm. It is used for the distillation and the bottling. [8] [9]
The gin is influenced exclusively by the foraged botanicals; no other essences, oils, or flavorings are added.[ citation needed ] The use of aromatic plants for flavouring spirit is not new. Islay’s distillers traditionally used whatever was at hand to improve their usquebaugh (whisky), distilled on small, portable stills that were hidden in remote glens. [10]
The Botanist was awarded the Diamond prize at the Monaco Concours of the Femmes et Spiriteux du Monde in 2011. [13]
Gin is a distilled alcoholic drink flavoured with juniper berries and other botanical ingredients.
Scotch whisky, often simply called whisky or Scotch, is malt whisky or grain whisky made in Scotland.
Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere as far south as tropical Africa, including the Arctic, parts of Asia, and Central America. The highest-known juniper forest occurs at an altitude of 4,900 metres (16,100 ft) in southeastern Tibet and the northern Himalayas, creating one of the highest tree lines on earth.
Juniperus communis, the common juniper, is a species of small tree or shrub in the cypress family Cupressaceae. An evergreen conifer, it has the largest geographical range of any woody plant, with a circumpolar distribution throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere.
Jenever, also known as Hollands, genever, genièvre, peket, or sometimes as Dutch gin, is the juniper-flavoured traditional liquor in the Netherlands, Belgium, and adjoining areas in northern France and northwestern Germany. As an EU and UK Protected Designation of Origin, the term jenever and its soundalikes can only be used if the product is made according to the specifications in Belgium, the Netherlands, two northern French departments, and two German federal states. Gin was developed in Britain after the introduction of jenever to the island.
Glengoyne distillery is a whisky distillery continuously in operation since its founding in 1833 at Dumgoyne, north of Glasgow, Scotland. Glengoyne is unique in producing Highland single malt whisky matured in the Lowlands. Located upon the Highland Line, the division between the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland, Glengoyne’s stills are in the Highlands while maturing casks of whisky rest across the road in the Lowlands.
Bruichladdich Distillery is a distillery on the Rhinns of the isle of Islay in Scotland. The distillery produces mainly single malt Scotch whisky and The Botanist gin. Originally established in 1881 but closed many times throughout its history, its current form was opened in 2001. It has been owned by Rémy Cointreau since 2012.
Tanqueray is a brand of gin produced by Diageo plc. It originated in London. While it does not command a sizable market share in its native market, its largest market is the U.S.
Hendrick's Gin is a brand of gin produced by William Grant & Sons at the Girvan distillery, Scotland, and launched in 1999. The brand was created by spirits marketer Steven Grasse, while the gin itself was conceived by Lesley Gracie, a Yorkshire native, who was hired by William Grant & Sons to work in new liquid development for some of their products. A decade later she was tasked with creating a new super-premium gin. In addition to the traditional juniper infusion, Hendrick's uses Bulgarian rose and cucumber to add flavour. Hendrick's gin is bottled in a dark brown, apothecary-style bottle.
Juniperus phoenicea, the Phoenicean juniper or Arâr, is a juniper found throughout the Mediterranean region.
Sipsmith is a microdistillery located in London. It is the first copper-pot distillery to open within Greater London' in nearly two centuries. It has been owned by Suntory Global Spirits, a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings of Osaka, Japan, since December 2016.
Brinjevec is a strong alcoholic drink, produced in the Karst and Brkini regions in Slovenia. It is re-distilled from ground and fermented juniper berries only and it differs from similar drinks that have different alcohol bases with added juniper flavor. It has a clear transparent color and it is meant for folk medicinal use and not for regular drinking. It contains between 40% and 50% alcohol and has a very distinctive tart taste
Sacred Spirits is a microdistillery in Highgate, London. It distills its spirits under a vacuum in glassware, and thus at a lower temperature than traditional pot stills, which operate at atmospheric pressure. The microdistillery operates out of the back room of a residential house, with a vacuum plant in a wendy house in the distiller's back garden. It is an authorised Customs and Excise distillery.
Broker’s London Dry Gin is a brand of gin micro-distilled at a 200-year-old distillery located near Birmingham, England, using a traditional copper pot still.
The London Distillery Company, also known as TLDC, was a distillery based in Bermondsey, London. Originally located in Battersea TLDC produced English whisky, Rye whisky, London gin and British spirits, compounds and cordials. TLDC also created experimental spirits under the TESTBED brand; named after the art space of similar ethos by architect Will Alsop.
Philadelphia Distilling is a microdistillery founded in March 2005 in the Byberry neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the first craft distillery to open in Pennsylvania since before Prohibition.
Malfy Gin is a brand of gin bottled in Italy, distilled by Torino Distillati, and distributed by Pernod Ricard.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to whisky:
Crafter's is a Nordic gin brand that includes classic London Dry Gin and Aromatic Flower Gin produced by Estonian distillery Liviko. Both gins are handcrafted in Estonia, copper-pot distilled and made in small batches. In 2018 Liviko exported Crafter's gin to 25 countries. The juniper berries used in the making of Crafter's gin are reused in the Re-crafted Crafter's handcrafted beverages, as the berries retain a valuable part of their flavour even after distillation. Liviko was nominated to World Beverage Innovation Award in 2019 for its zero-waste product innovation that lead to a new category of drinks.