Hebridean gin producer The Botanist extends its portfolio with The Botanist Cask Rested and Cask Aged, two releases that are part of its new Islay Cask Matured Gin range.
What was one, is now three.
We’re referring to the core gin range from The Botanist. For the longest time Islay-based producer only made one gin – The Botanist Islay Dry Gin. That is, if you don’t count the Hebridean Strength Travellers’ Exclusive dedicated for travel retail, or its very limited release, the Plant Conservation edition that we don’t get in our part of the world.
But these two new ones, we do. The Botanist Cask Rested Gin and The Botanist Cask Aged Gin, part of the Hebridean gin producer’s Islay Cask Matured range that sees gin matured in oak casks that formerly held whisky.
For those unfamiliar with The Botanist, it is actually the gin arm of Bruichladdich, one of ten distilleries on Islay (with Port Ellen reopening in March earlier this year). The Remy Cointreau-owned distillery is probably one of the more progressive distilleries too, making a wide range of innovative single malts that range from its unpeated Classic Laddie expression and aggressively peated Octomore series to any number of its exclusive “Micro Provenance” single casks.
Ironically, that’s not the case with its gin. The Botanist first distilled its original Islay Dry Gin in 2010 – it was launched here in Singapore in 2016 – but only released the Hebridean Strength Travellers’ Exclusive 11 years later.
UNtil now. The two new releases from The Botanist, the Cask Rested and Cask Aged matured gins, cleverly leans into Bruichladdich’s whisky making roots and sees its gin matured in oak casks that previously held whisky. And it probably helps that there are over 300 cask types at Bruichladdich available to Head Distiller Adam Hannett and his team to experiment with.
According to The Botanist, the Cask Rested Gin is a cuvée vatted from gins aged in around 16 different cask types of different provenance for a minimum of six months. Cask Aged Gin on the other hand is blended from around six different cask types and aged for a period of at least three years. Aging in wood – especially if using casks that formerly held peated Bruichladdich – definitely provides extra dimension to both gins, bringing not only fruity and oaky spiced notes to the table but also adding heft and roundedness to the palate.
“The complexity of The Botanist and its unparalleled quality make it a pleasure to experiment with. We have watched and waited to see how the balance of the liquid and the 22 Islay botanicals can be further enhanced by resting in fine quality European and American oak casks. This experiment has been decades in the making and we’re really pleased with the vibrancy and depth of the new liquids,” shared Adam Hannett, Head Distiller at Bruichladdich.
There’s currently no specific laws around the making of aged gins. The Botanist’s naming convention for its Islay Cask Matured range is actually inspired by tequila, specifically the Reposado and Añejo variations (which aged for a minimum of two months and one year respectively as legally required by the Consejo Regulador del Tequila).
“We’re excited to bring The Botanist Cask Rested and Cask Aged Gin to the market to help support our brand’s ambitious growth aspirations. The Islay Cask Matured Gin range will unlock access to new drinking occasions and new consumers and at the same time, it reinforces our distilling expertise, ageing credentials and incredible provenance,” said Gareth Brown, Marketing Director at Bruichladdich.
The Botanist Islay Cask Matured Gin range of Islay Cask Rested Gin and Islay Cask Aged Gin are currently available on trade in Singapore only, at bars such as Tippling Club, Plume, and ATLAS.
For more information visit: thebotanist.com.
Follow us on Telegram to get updated on events and other spirited announcements!
