Thirty-one botanicals. That number alone tells you The Botanist isn't playing by the usual rulebook. Distilled at Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay — an island far better known for peat-smoked single malts — this contemporary dry gin takes 22 of its botanicals from the wild hedgerows, shores, and hillsides of the Hebrides. It's a bottle that carries a genuine sense of place, and in a market awash with 'foraged' marketing claims, The Botanist actually delivers on the promise.
A Botanical Census
The spec sheet reads like a field guide to Scottish wildflowers. Alongside the expected juniper, coriander seed, and citrus peels, you'll find bog myrtle, creeping thistle, mugwort, wood sage, gorse flowers, and meadowsweet — ingredients most distillers wouldn't recognise, let alone use. Each is hand-foraged on Islay by the distillery's own botanist, and that commitment to provenance is what sets this gin apart from the wave of multi-botanical contemporaries that have flooded shelves in recent years.
Style and Character
At 46% ABV, The Botanist sits at a strength that gives the spirit real backbone without tipping into heat. The contemporary classification is apt: juniper is present but it shares the stage generously. The herbal weight here is considerable — think layers of mint varieties (apple mint, spearmint, water mint), soft floral lifts from chamomile, elderflower, and heather, and an earthy, almost savoury undertone from thyme, wild thyme, and tansy. Cassia and cinnamon bark add a gentle spice scaffolding, while liquorice root and sweet cicely round things out with a natural sweetness that never cloys.
What impresses me most is the balance. With 31 botanicals, this gin could easily become a muddled mess — a greatest-hits compilation where nothing stands out. Instead, Bruichladdich's slow distillation in their Lomond still lets each layer speak without shouting over the next. It's complex but coherent, which is harder to achieve than most drinkers realise.
Value and Verdict
At around £38, The Botanist competes directly with premium contemporaries and holds its ground comfortably. It's versatile enough for a classic G&T yet interesting enough to sip with just a splash of water. For anyone building a gin collection, this is a bottle that earns its shelf space through sheer character rather than flashy packaging or gimmick botanicals.
Best served with a light tonic, a sprig of fresh thyme, and a twist of pink grapefruit peel — or, if you want to lean into its herbal soul, try it in a Eastward Highball: 50ml Botanist, 20ml yuzu juice, a barspoon of elderflower cordial, topped with chilled soda and garnished with a shiso leaf. The Hebrides meet Kyoto in a glass.
An 8 out of 10. The Botanist remains one of the most thoughtfully made gins on the market — a genuine expression of terroir that rewards curiosity.
