Bruichladdich is one of the most impressive distilleries in Scotland, in the World even. It was built in 1881 by the Harvey brothers, who came from a dynastic Whisky family. The brothers had wanted to create a distillery that was the very antithesis of an Islay farm distillery. They built a cathedral-like, state-of-the-art Victorian still house, where they used 6m tall stills, which was unheard of at that time, and way ahead of its time.
Today, the distillery remains pretty much the same as it did over 100 years ago. Their belief is, as the French culinary saying goes, "it is in the oldest pots that the best soup is made". Slow fermentation, slow distillation, in very traditional, wooden vats and huge washes made from towering Douglas Fir.
However, they don't just make Whisky, they also produce Gin. For the Botanist Islay Dry Gin the craftsmen at Bruichladdich use 9 classic Gin aromatics and a whopping 22 additional local botanicals, which are hand-picked from the windswept hills, peat bogs and Atlantic shores of the Hebridean island of Islay. This Islay speciality is distilled 4 times slower as the average Gin, in Bruichladdich's Ugly Betty, one of the few remaining Lomond Stills in existence. It’s the only Gin produced on the Isle of Islay. The story and the Gin, great.
Some of the botanicals included: Orris root, cassia bark, coriander seed, Mugwort, Meadow Sweet, Lady's Bedstraw flowers, apple mint, downy birch, elder, gorse flower.
The Flavor Spiral™ shows the most common flavors that you'll taste in The Botanist Islay Dry Gin and gives you a chance to have a taste of it before actually tasting it.
We invented Flavor Spiral™ here at Flaviar to get all your senses involved in tasting drinks and, frankly, because we think that classic tasting notes are boring.
Dog Dogson's
Smartass Corner
Hardcore Gin lovers say the word Martini should never be preceded by Vodka, lobster, or pomegranate. They say the original and the only real Martini consists of Gin, Vermouth & olives, period!
Very good gin! The botanicals give flavors complex enough for neat sipping, but it's also excellent in a Martini (if you can find dry vermouth these days!), or a French 75. As good as my so-far all time favorite Hendrick's. The bottle is, of course unique with the names of the botanicals they use.
Jake,
The best gin! I don't really like to sip gin but this one is so smooth.
Kevin,
Depth of flavor with little less gin “bite.” May be my new go to for martinis and Gibsons
Scott,
For me one of the best gins on the market. Super easy drinking, great botanicals
Anthony,
Very smooth and easy as a sipping gin-straight.
Josh,
Clean and delicious gin. It is my favorite gin I have ever had.
Rob,
Great mixer for a G&T, lots of floral notes up front with a citrus backend. Mix this one with some Q tonic and lime wedge
Casey,
I didn't appreciate gin until I bought this.
Gregory,
Very floral but not sweet
Patrick,
it make me go brrrrrrrrrr.
Ashley,
Very good traditional dry gin
Clayton,
I love it. It’s one of the nicest gins I’ve had.
Jack,
Has a floral quality. Not as pronounced as Hendrick's, but definitely more floral than juniper-y.
Judy,
very nice, smooth...friends say that Bombay Sapphire is equally good
Michael,
I like it, but I don't love it. 9 aromatics and an additional 22 botanicals. Not getting all of that. It's kind of light and citrusy with a bit of spice on the end. Also not great in a G&T with Fever Tree Indian tonic. I give it a 7 because I liked it on the rocks, which, for me, is strange for gin. In the end, I think I prefer a classic London Dry.
Kristy,
I thoroughly enjoy drinking this gin! I never understood what "enjoying" drinking a drink meant until this gin. Smooth, herbal, botanical, good straight neat or with elderflower tonic.
Ross,
Superb gin. Makes for an exceptional G&T. Little spicy on the front to drink plan for me.
Donald,
Not your normal gin. Has herbal undertones Perfect for a summer gin & tonic. The inventor should be canonized.
Paddy,
A seriously good gin
Brian,
My gold standard. Tons of different herbal notes, but smooth enough to sip all evening long.
Dana,
Smooth with a nice herbal undertone. Pleasant sipping gin.
Ryan,
One of the best gins I have had.
James,
This is one of if not my favorite gin. Lots of complexity and interesting layers from all the Isla botanicals. It's lower on the juniper scale too and does very well in boozy, gin-forward cocktails.
Ryan,
The best gin I've ever had. Smooth and full of botanical flavors.
Michael,
Not that impressed, I'd rather drink something else
Derryck,
So far the most impressive Gin I've ever tasted. Uniquely and creatively complex.
Chris,
Wonderful citrus, floral and spices on the nose, clean flavors and nice long finish.
Zachary,
So many wonderful floral flavors, incredibly smooth and delicious
Maria,
Practically perfect in every way.
guest,
Excellent and smooth Gin.
Timothy,
This is the best Gin I have ever had. It's better than my old standby, Beefeater. It is smooth, fruity, and clean/dry. It will drink chilled, straight. I like it best with a little tonic water. Well worth the modest price.
Alycia,
My new favorite go to gin
Theresa,
Delightful as gin and tonic with Fever Tree tonic lovely. Will reorder!!!.
William,
Not a big gin drinker but, this may now be my Summer drink! Love the fresh clean taste on the rocks or straight up, taste like Summer!
Todd,
Who'd knew that a couple of Scotsman who seemingly went out in their backyard for botanicals would be so good. I kid. Granted the botanicals are a laundry list for goodness. It mixes well for any gin drink I know of. Granted in a Gin and Tonic seems to be delicious sacrilege..
Nikko,
Favorite Gin! Clean flavor, nice aromatics-not too woodsy or flowery. Great aftertaste.
guest,
Top shelf of gins for me. Brilliant
Brad,
Love the bottle as well as the product. A great Gin made at a Scotch Distillery
Andrew,
Just Wow
Alex,
Love the botanical nuances!
Caroline,
One of my favorite gins.
Ruth,
Fabulous lateral herbiness, while still tasting like gin.
Chad,
Probably the best gin in the world. Made by people who know what they're doing.
Kay,
The vibrancy and clarity are beyond any other gin I've tried. Even though the nose is deep and complex, it still retains a bright, fresh characteristic. The mouthfeel is surprisingly light with a dry, crisp finish. This gin is still refreshing to drink neat. It's a perfect ingredient to a classic gimlet. Lime zest is a perfect accompaniment to the overall lively personality of this gin. Highly recommended for those who want to try a very unique style. I'll definitely be drinking a lot of this this summer!
David,
Our favorite gin right now. In fact, I need to go out and get another bottle! The botanicals are a superb and complex addition. Don't even need to make a cocktail out of it. It is very nice straight. Not surprising - I like everything that Bruichladdich puts out there.
Danielle,
Excellent gin with a well balanced botanical note
Nicolle,
Not dry like a gin usually is
Michael,
Nose is the expected juniper, along with citrus zest, spearmint, cracked peppercorns. Flavors are wonderfully complex- gently sweet right up front, juniper bitterness coming in after but in a restrained way, leading to an array of citrus and herbal notes after, leading to a pepper-y finish. Everything is wonderfully balanced here. Mouth-feel is smooth and slick. Makes a great G&T (I would keep the ratio of gin to tonic on the high side , so the subtleties don't get lost), but this is one gin that I can even greatly enjoy sipping neat. The Botanist will always have a place on my shelf.
Bill,
Incredible - very light and refreshing while bursting with botanical and citrus flavors. I drink my gin dirty and my future wife loves G&T - this worked amazingly for both.
Matt,
I love this gin... used it strictly for G&T’s... the in lawslikedthis gin as well... very refreshing.
Jacqueline,
This gin is clean and floral with a light juniper taste. It is the perfect multitasker for your gin drinks.
Kevin,
The best gin and tonic I ever had. I threw parties where people came to just try this drink
Jim,
Delicious
Riley,
Best damn martini with a lemon twist
Greg,
Rich but light with a good mouth feel and balanced flavor profile. Great for sipping or in a Martini.
John,
Is it Gin for a scotch drinker??? Or is it a great seque for a Gin drinker to prepare to tackle scotch??
What it is, is a damn good drink
George,
A very nice gin that isn't too juniper-heavy. It does quite well by itself, as part of a gin & tonic, or when mixed with citrus or stone-fruit (peach, apricot, etc...) flavors. I almost hate to mix it into a cocktail, but it makes such a nice base for so many that I can't resist using it once in a while, though I have to be careful about bitters selection else they will overpower the gin a bit.
guest,
Smooth and great in a gin tonic
George,
Wonderful Gin, very smooth.
Jonathan,
Spectacularly smooth, I love it in gimlets, but works well with anything, so fruity in flavor!
Jeremy,
Was a good gin!
Barry,
Floral front with a smooth clean finish. Great taste for martinis or straight. My favorite in this price range
Hartmut,
This is a great gin for martinis. Wonderful taste!
Gregory,
Great martini gin, but not a fan with tonic.
Moises,
This is one of the best guns I have ever tasted.
Jim,
Very tasty chilled and neat. Botanicals are both forward and subtle. Makes a great martini wet (3 to 1 with French vermouth).
Terry,
One of the best gins out there. Second only to Hendrick's IMHO. Try it neat or with tonic and you will not be disappointed. Kudos to Bruichladdich! Smooth and delicious, indeed!
Joshua,
My favorite gin.
Andrew,
Explosion of sweet/salty botanicals up front. Smooth finish. Most complex and delicious gin I've ever had.
Jenifer,
Just lovely. Noticed different hints of botanicals with each sip.