Botanist Islay Dry Gin

Botanist Islay Dry Gin is bottled at 46% ABV and made on the Scottish island of Islay. The brand lists 22 hand-foraged local botanicals, and that number is what separates it from most London-style dry gins. The base is still juniper, but it sits among local plants and a wider set of herbal, floral and citrus notes. It is not a classic juniper-only gin, nor a modern citrus-led one. Expect a juniper backbone with a green, herbal and floral character around it, which gives it more complexity than a standard 40% gin. The 46% strength matters in the glass. Botanical oils hold up better at higher proof, so the flavors stay clear when you add ice, tonic or vermouth. A style like this usually tastes fuller and a little warmer on the finish than a 40% gin. Taste it neat or with a small splash of water first. That shows how the juniper, herbs and floral notes sit against each other before a mixer changes them. In a Gin & Tonic, the extra strength lets it carry through a lot of ice and a good tonic. Use a balloon glass or a tall highball, fill it with large cubes, and pour roughly one part gin to two or three parts tonic. A lighter, less sweet tonic lets the botanicals show. For garnish, a strip of lemon or grapefruit peel works, and so does a sprig of rosemary, thyme or mint, which suits the herbal side of the profile. A Negroni made with it keeps its shape against Campari and sweet vermouth rather than disappearing under them. Serve it over a large cube in a rocks glass with an orange peel. In a Martini, stir it with dry vermouth and plenty of ice until very cold, strain it into a chilled coupe or Martini glass, and finish with a lemon twist or an olive. The higher proof makes a dry, mostly gin Martini work well. It also suits a Tom Collins. Shake it with fresh lemon juice and sugar syrup, strain into a tall glass over ice, top with soda water and add a lemon wheel. Keep the bottle in a cool place, and chill the glass or the mixing tin rather than the gin itself if you want the botanicals to stay open.