About The Botanist Gin:
The Bruichladdich story, begins back in 1881, when brothers William, John and Robert Harvey constructed an avant-garde whisky distillery on a remote Scottish island. The whisky industry has always suffered from cyclical periods of boom and bust, leading to multiple changes of ownerships and closures for Bruichladdich over the past century. In 1994 it closed for what could easily have been the last time. But the distillery was acquired by a passionate consortium who brought it back from the brink of closure with their vision and energy.
They believed in the concept of terroir, for spirits as for wine. They respected the traditional equipment and methods, the heavy reliance on skilled manpower. They were prepared to contradict the establishment, test out new ideas, judge things by their flavour, elevate the ingredients. And together with Head Distiller Jim McEwan and Distillery Manager Duncan McGillivray, they set out to make a gin that would be a rare expression of the heart and soul of our remote Scottish Island.
Today, The Botanist Gin is made to the same original recipe, which features 22 Islay botanicals, hand-picked sustainably by a professional forager. These unique flavours augment 9 core berries, barks and seeds to create a gin of layered complexity.
Join the team at Bruichladdich Distillery on one of our tours and discover the story of how a reclaimed whisky still was altered to create Islay’s first Dry Gin. Learn about the distillation process and how each of the botanicals contribute to the smooth and versatile flavour of The Botanist. The Botanist Cocktail Experience is a foraged cocktail making class where you can learn about local, seasonal flavours and how to prepare simple syrups for impactful drinks.
For more information or to book a tour visit https://www.thebotanist.com/botanist-tours/ or call the distillery shop on 01496850190.