HERITAGE BOOK

A PROGRESSIVE EXPLORATION OF THE BOTANICAL HERITAGE

OF OUR ISLE OF ISLAY. HERITAGE BOOK HERITAGE _HISTORY

ISLE OF ISLAY, SOUTHERN HEBRIDES, SCOTLAND.

The Botanist is a gin of layered The whisky industry has always They believed in the concept of As serendipity would have it, living complexity. A progressive exploration suffered from cyclical periods terroir, for spirits as for wine. They on the south side of the island of the botanical heritage of our of boom and bust, leading to multiple respected the traditional equipment at that time were two botanical Isle of Islay. 22 hand-foraged local changes of ownerships and closures and methods, the heavy reliance on experts, Dr Richard Gulliver and botanicals delicately augment nine for Bruichladdich over the past skilled manpower. They were prepared Mavis Gulliver. They identified berries, barks, seeds and peels during century. In 1994 it closed for what to contradict the establishment, test 33 herbs, leaves, and edible flowers an achingly slow distillation. Our could easily have been the last time. out new ideas, judge things by their that could be sustainably foraged approach to spirits distillation, and But the distillery was acquired flavour, elevate the ingredients. on the island for their flavour and the Bruichladdich story, begins back by wine merchants Simon Coughlin And together with Head Distiller scent. From these, Jim selected 22, in 1881, when brothers William, John and Mark Reynier, who brought Jim McEwan and Distillery Manager proposing a balanced recipe evocative and Robert Harvey constructed an it back from the brink of closure Duncan McGillivray, they set out of Islay. That was 2010 and the recipe avant-garde whisky distillery on a remote Scottish island. with their vision and energy. to make a gin that would be a rare has remained unchanged ever since. expression of the heart and soul Today, these wild ingredients are of our remote Scottish Island. collected by Professional Forager James Donaldson, and distilled by Adam Hannett, Head Distiller.

A STORY OF SERENDIPITY, THE MEETING OF MINDS, VISION AND ENERGY. _PEOPLE

ADAM HANNETT, HEAD DISTILLER AT BRUICHLADDICH DISTILLERY.

Adam is an Ileach – a man born The intricate craft of creating and raised on the Scottish island The Botanist is a task that can only of Islay. He was a teenager in that be undertaken by the most skilled difficult decade of distillery closures of artisan distillers. Adam and and island depopulation. After school Production Director, Allan Logan, first he left briefly to study in Aberdeen, macerate the nine core botanicals in but the call of his island home was a combination of neutral grain spirit strong and he soon returned. and Octomore spring water. What follows is a slow simmer distillation in Nineteen years ago, when he was the uniquely modi f ied Lomond Still, starting out, Adam was part of the team affectionately nicknamed Ugly Betty. welcoming visitors to the distillery. He enjoyed sharing the knowledge Adam then adds a muslin bag of the 22 of the craftsmen he was working with Islay botanicals in a special chamber and soon became fascinated with how attached to the lyne arm of Ugly Betty, they create and control the finest infusing the spirit with rich aromas flavours in the spirits. as it passes through – giving The Botanist its complex flavour profile. Adam’s infectious enthusiasm and strong work ethic was encouraged Adam says: “When distilling The by Jim McEwan. Recognising his Botanist, we are creating something remarkable nose and palate, Jim more than a gin. The Botanist is a quickly invited Adam to work alongside representation of the place we are him. He has been intimately involved from. We use the art of distillation and in every distillation of The Botanist a connection to the land, our home, to since the inaugural run in 2010. create a wonderful spirit that speaks of the place it is from.”

“WHEN DISTILLING THE BOTANIST, WE ARE CREATING SOMETHING MORE THAN A GIN.” JAMES DONALDSON, PROFESSIONAL FORAGER AT BRUICHLADDICH DISTILLERY.

Born in Angus, Scotland, James developed and Mavis Gulliver on the collection his love of the outdoors at a young age and painstaking preparation of the while exploring the parks and hedgerows now famous ‘22’. Since the Gullivers of his home. He says it was then that he retired, the task of roving the bogs, hills discovered his “natural talent for falling and shores of Islay to gather the 22 in burns and getting covered in mud.” falls on James’ shoulders alone. James This talent, and his sharp mind, ultimately says “Sustainability is at the heart of led to him studying botany at Edinburgh The Botanist Gin. We never pick more University. Following his studies James than we need, and we only take a small travelled, eventually returning to amount from each area. Throughout Scotland to take up a job as a tour guide. spring and summer, our Islay botanicals He was to spend the next 15 years flourish, one by one. They are hand- introducing visitors to the beauty of picked and dried, one leaf at a time.” the Highlands and Islands and teaching them about Scotland’s rich history, finally deciding to set up home on Islay in 2015. 16 months later, an advert from The Botanist calling for a ‘Professional Forager’ appeared in the local paper, and it united all his interests at last. James was to spend the first six months of his time with Bruichladdich Distillery, “A NATURAL TALENT an entire growing season, working with FOR FALLING IN BURNS botanical experts Dr Richard Gulliver AND GETTING COVERED IN MUD.” _TERROIR

OUR INSPIRATION COMES FROM ISLAY, OUR HOME IN THE HEBRIDEAN ARCHIPELAGO OF SCOTLAND’S WEST COAST.

In the world of wine, terroir is to be sustainably foraged without a concept reflecting the interaction any impact on the wild populations. of soil, sub-soil, exposure, But what an impact they have on our orientation, climate and micro- spirit. Seven months in the picking climate on the growth of the vine and 17 hours in distillation has and the harvest of the grape, leading created a gin that is unmistakably to a wine that speaks of the place Islay. The Botanistis our way it was made. Convictions about of communicating our place in the terroir run through everything that world. It’s personal. It encapsulates we make at the distillery. an attitude of connecting to The 22 botanicals that we select are nature, cherishing what it offers, readily available, and not ‘rare’ or and finding a way to express its difficult to find. Most are abundant particularities, wherever you are. on Islay, and all are common enough

WE USE THE ART OF DISTILLATION AND A CONNECTION TO THE LAND, OUR HOME, TO CREATE AN EXPRESSION OF ITS HEART AND SOUL. _RECONNECT WITH NATURE _KEY FIGURES _KEY DATES

TO CREATE THE BOTANIST, WE EXPLORED OUR OWN BACKYARD, OUR WILD, HEBRIDEAN ISLAND OF ISLAY. 1,6 1881 MILLION Bruichladdich was founded in 1881 by the Harvey brothers, members of a Glasgow More than whisky dynasty. Robert Harvey an Our ambition is to inspire versatility of The Botanist. There 1.6 million bottles engineer would build it, John a distiller people to discover the seasonal is opportunity and inspiration sold in 2018. flavours in their own backyards. everywhere, in every city park would run it and William would provide Creativity, discovery and nature and along every country lane the business acumen. lie at the heart of The Botanist. – a drink need never be the 66 As such we choose not to have same again… COUNTRIES 1994 a signature serve, but instead In 1994 Bruichladdich Distillery was challenge people to discover Currently closed by its then owner Jim Beam Brands local and seasonal botanicals, exported from Islay as they deemed it “surplus to requirements”. and experiment with the to 66 countries across the globe. 2000 The semi-derelict distillery was purchased on 19th December 2000 by a group of Fastest private investors led by Simon Coughlin GROWING and Mark Reynier, wine merchants Remains from London. the fastest growing brand within 2010 the high-end gin The Botanist is distilled for the first category both time using nine berries, peels and barks, in volume and value. augmented by the 22 foraged island botanicals.

2012 Bruichladdich Distillery is bought by 70% Remy Cointreau. Listed in 70% of the World’s Top 2018 Cocktai l Bars. The Botanist continues to assert its position as one of the top high end gins in the world.