The Botanist Islay Dry Gin, 70cl

The Botanist Islay Dry Gin is conceived, distilled and hand-crafted at the Bruichladdich Distillery on the remote Scottish island of Islay — better known for peated whisky than gin. It is a rare expression of the island's botanical heritage: 22 wild, hand-foraged local botanicals, gathered from Islay's machair, moorland and coastline, are gently combined with nine classic gin botanicals such as juniper, coriander and angelica.

Distillation takes place in "Ugly Betty", a vintage Lomond still, over an achingly slow, low-pressure process lasting up to 17 hours — far longer than most gins — allowing the delicate local botanicals to express themselves fully without becoming bitter. The result is a gin of real layered complexity: bright juniper and citrus up front, giving way to soft floral and herbaceous notes from the foraged botanicals, with a long, fresh, gently spiced finish.

Bottled at 46% ABV, The Botanist has earned a devoted following among gin lovers for its depth and sense of place, and is equally at home in a classic G&T, a Martini, or sipped neat to explore its full range of flavour. Its frosted glass bottle, embossed with the botanicals' Latin names, is instantly recognisable on any gin shelf.