The Botanist Gin Sets Its Sights on the Negroni With High Proof ‘Distiller’s Strength’ Bottling
(Photo: The Botanist)
On Tuesday, The Botanist Islay Dry Gin dialed up its signature recipe with the reveal of a 50%-ABV Distiller’s Strength bottling. Designed with spirit-forward cocktails like the negroni and martini in mind, this latest release from Scotland’s Bruichladdich Distillery promises to build upon an award-winning portfolio stacked with personal favorites.
In addition to juniper berries, cassia bark and angelica root, The Botanist is distilled from an array of locally foraged botanicals that include apple mint, hawthorn flowers, white clover and mugwort. Its flagship gin — bottled at 46% ABV — has garnered a Raided Score® of 91 on our site.
Fans of the spirit have commended its lemon-forward palate and distinctly spicy flavors of anise, coriander and licorice. The gin’s higher-proofed sibling is said to deliver more of the same alongside an “intense, herbaceous freshness balanced by soft citrus.” Those eager to taste the difference can find Distiller’s Strength online at a friendly $44.99.
Sadly for drinkers across the pond, the expression is for the time being limited exclusively to the U.S.
The bottling is the latest from Islay’s Bruichladdich Distillery, best known for its range of eponymous scotch whiskies. The team has been on something of a winning streak as of late, releasing great stuff like Black Art 11.1 and Port Charlotte 18-year. Bruichladdich’s recently debuted Re/Define 18-year is, in our opinion, the distiller’s best offering of its modern era.
While we haven’t had a chance to taste Distiller’s Strength just yet, we are eager to see how it stacks up against the competition. Expect a review in the weeks to come.
“Experimentation is at the core of our distillery’s heritage, and The Botanist’s blend of 22 signature botanicals is no exception,” Adam Hannett, head distiller at Bruichladdich Distillery, remarked in a news release. “For this release, I was inspired by Bruichladdich Distillery’s long-practiced art of bottling whisky at 50% ABV. At this strength, flavorful oils from distillation are enhanced, the viscosity is richer, and it’s this richness that carries the flavors of the spirit.”
Toasting its crossover into the mixology world, The Botanist has teamed up with Vine Pair for a negroni bartending showdown appropriately dubbed “Negroni Nation.” Nearly 50 bartenders across the U.S. were invited to submit twists on the recipe that pay homage to local ingredients and trends.
And twists they did deliver.
For its audacity alone, we’d like to give a shoutout to Conner Hargesheimer’s “Good Things Take Time,” concocted at the Nickel City bar in Dallas, Texas. In addition to negroni staples of gin, red bitter aperitif and sweet vermouth, the cocktail doses unexpected additions of red cream soda reduction and barbeque sauce. Over in San Francisco, you’ll find an “Eclipse” mixed with cuttlefish-ink-infused bitter bianco; in New York City, a “Late Nights” with coffee liqueur and tobacco spray.
For an interactive map breaking down each entry, find Negroni Nation here.
Follow The Daily Pour:
