Is it possible to taste a place? Can you sip its essence and experience the landscape?
The Botanist’s head distiller Adam Hannett says that distillation is the means “to create a wonderful spirit that speaks of the place it is from.”
The Botanist Gin is a unique, well-balanced gin that lives up to its name being created by two botanical experts, a full-time forager and the Head Distiller.
The Botanist Gin has 31 botanicals and you can find 22 of them growing wild on the lush, fertile Isle of Islay 2 hours off the coast of Scotland. Here, the aromas of the wild flowers and herbs are in the breeze growing idyllically on the hills, bogs and shores. They are hand-foraged from March to October.
If you’re interested in coastal Scottish gins, also read our full review of Hendrick’s Neptunia.
What does Botanist Gin Taste Like? The Botanist Gin Neat
The flavors of Botanist Gin transition from light juniper through a tour of floral and herbal notes. A cool minty, slight pine start segues to a bit of citrus and woody herbs buffered by a rooty, creaminess. The finish is dry and not too astringent.
The Botanist Gin is so smooth and balanced and it is astonishing that no one flavor edges out another. It’s a good choice for someone who may not love the flavor of juniper but still wants their gin to taste like gin.
What type of Gin is Botanist?
The Botanist Gin meets the guidelines of a London Dry Gin because it has not been colored or sweetened, and has a noticeable, if not dominant, juniper. On the other hand, some prefer that it be grouped with Contemporary or New Western Gins since the juniper is not so bold and due to its highly localized botanicals.
GinBoss thinks the makers of The Botanist have it right to label it Islay Dry Gin. Why not let it define itself? There is no other gin like it and it is wholly defined by its terroir and botanicals.
How to Serve The Botanist Gin
The Botanist Gin is smooth above all else and goes very well with herbal and floral extras. You can accentuate any aspect you like with syrups, garnishes of fresh citrus or sprigs of herbs in simple or complex preparations.
If you seek to enhance and not outshine this gin you will be very happy.
Alcohol Percentage of Botanist Gin
The ABV of The Botanist Gin is 46%. You can see how it compares to 10 other gins in our ABV table.
Botanist Gin Cocktails
GinBoss respects the well-balanced nature of The Botanist and always strives to be thoughtful when mixing.
The Botanist Gin shines in cocktails that feature herbal and floral liqueur like Elderflower, Crème de Violette and Chartreuse. It is more complex than bold so be careful not to mask its greatness.
That being said, the Botanist Gin is ideal for cocktails like:
- an Aviation
- a French Gimlet
- an Alaska
- The Last Word
- a Tuxedo
If you’re willing to do a little work, you can add your own stamp to cocktails like the the Gimlet, Gin Rickey and Tom Collins by making a tasty infused simple syrup.
This can be done with fruit, zest, herbs, spices or roots like: lavender, ginger, cinnamon, mint, rosemary, thyme or peppercorns. Just think what you could do with The Bee’s Knees which uses a honey simple syrup. It would be delicious with any of these accents.
If you’re short on time, skip the simple syrup and use jam. Click here to see Gin Boss’s riff on the Aviation with Cherry Jam or the Gin Sling inspired by Raffles Long Bar in Singapore.
The Botanist Gin is friendly to chocolate as well as fruit. Here’s a simple Chocolate Covered Cherry Martini for dessert.
The Botanist Gin and Tonic
The Botanist is a fine choice for a Gin and Tonic. GinBoss does advise not to overpower the gin’s flavor with too much or too flavorful a tonic. Taste the gin on its own and decide which tonic will enhance not replace flavor. Take it in steps.
The Botanist Martini
Martini lovers will be very happy with The Botanist. It has a formidable ABV of 46% but isn’t overpowering. It makes a successful Martini using various gin to vermouth ratios whether it be 1:1 or 7:1. Read more about mixing a good Martini.
The Botanist Gin Price
In the US, The Botanist Gin costs in the range of $39.99- $42.99. We find this to be a good value.
In conclusion
There are some gins you buy to try and then move on but GinBoss considers The Botanist Gin a GinBoss staple and is replenished as necessary. It has a smooth character, is a solid gin for cocktails and is agreeable to all.
The Botanist Gin is a worth having on your shelf.
To learn more about the styles of Gin and get our recipes, visit our Home Page.
