First Taste: Bruichladdich's The Botanist Gin Debuts a Cask Matured Series

Bruichladdich Distillery is known around the world for its single malt scotch whiskies. But it also has the distinction of being the only Islay distiller with a serious gin label—one that has even advertised in the Super Bowl! The Botanist gin, which launched in 2010, was created by then-master distiller Jim McEwan, who aimed to showcase Islay’s terroir by distilling a dry gin made from the island’s botanicals. In many ways, the approach channeled the spirit of Bruichladdich’s Islay Barley series, a collection of unpeated, terroir-driven single malts made from Islay-grown barley.

Now, The Botanist has expanded the line with two new gins which further call upon the distillery’s expertise in whisky—this time, in cask maturation.

The new releases, which belong to the Islay Cask Matured Series, are matured in a cuvée of 16 casks from different regions made from American and European oak casks. The younger of the duo, Islay Cask Rested, spends 6 months in those casks. The older one, Islay Cask Aged, is matured for 3 years. Aside from cask maturation, these gins are virtually identical in makeup to The Botanist’s flagship bottling. They all follow the same recipe—using 22 Islay-native botanicals including Scottish juniper, elderflower, creeping thistle, and chamomile—and are all bottled at 46% ABV.

Despite the similarities between the three Botanist expressions, eagle-eyed drinkers may notice a slight difference in the labeling. The two new expressions aren’t labeled “dry gin” like the original. In the same vein as whiskey designations like straight and bottled in bond, dry gin is a style that describes gins made without added sugar, flavor agents, or artificial coloring. The distillery has confirmed that it isn’t using sugar, syrups, or colorants, but has opted to drop the "dry" designation.

Both gins have been released in overseas markets today, with a U.S. debut slated for March 1st. Cask Rested will see a retail launch in 8 states: California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, and Texas, with a suggested retail price of $50. Cask Aged, priced at $80, is not on course for an immediate retail release, instead being a bar and restaurant exclusive in California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Texas, and Washington. Though these initial efforts are limited in both scope and size, Bruichladdich is aiming to make these new releases permanent members of The Botanist’s lineup. That means wider availability and a retail release for Cask Aged could be in the cards for the future.

First Taste

We tasted through the new cask-matured expressions alongside the flagship Botanist gin. Here are our thoughts:

The Botanist Islay Cask Rested Gin

The first thing that jumps out is the pale rosy yellow color. Even at 6 months old, it’s strikingly different from its unaged counterpart. The nose is led by vanilla and juniper, which balance against orange peel and other botanicals. On the palate, there’s juniper, caramel, butterscotch, and rose petals. The finish is light and mellow, with herbaceous notes melding with vanilla bean.

The Botanist Islay Cask Aged Gin

The color is perhaps just a shade darker than the 6 month old. The nose is quite round, with subtle sherry influence, cooked berries, honey-like sweetness, and vanilla. The palate is thick, with notes of red berries, juniper, barrel char, caramel, and more vanilla. The cask influence is more apparent in this gin, and it culminates in a well-balanced, mouth-coating medium to long finish.

If you’re a fan of scotch whisky who’s looking for a place to get your foot in the gin scene’s door, we’ve compiled a list of gins made by Scotch distillers.

Already familiar with gins? Our guide on cask-matured gins will help you dive deeper into the spirit.