First Impressions
Pickering's Gin with Scottish Botanicals is the distillery's most overtly Scottish expression. While the standard Pickering's and the 1947 both use the original Bombay recipe, this variant adds four indigenous Scottish botanicals — heather, milk thistle, bog myrtle, and Scots pine — transforming the gin from a recipe with Edinburgh provenance into a spirit with genuine Highland terroir. The four Scottish additions were chosen to represent the landscape surrounding Scotland, and their integration with the existing nine-botanical Bombay recipe has won the gin medals since its 2017 release.
The Distillery
Summerhall Distillery in Edinburgh distils the Scottish Botanicals expression using the same copper stills and the same 1947 base recipe as the standard Pickering's. The four Scottish additions — heather, milk thistle, bog myrtle, and Scots pine — are sourced from the Scottish landscape and added to create this uniquely Scottish variant. Heather provides floral sweetness, milk thistle grounds the gin with earthy bitterness, bog myrtle (the traditional brewing herb that predated hops) adds resinous complexity, and Scots pine contributes a distinctive Highland pine character.
Tasting
The nose is immediately different from the standard Pickering's. Bright pine notes flood the nose — the Scots pine needles exuding a more resinous, almost earthy character than standard juniper, hinting at the rugged Scottish landscape. Earthy heather follows, grounding the vibrant juniper, and the gentle fragrance of heather weaves in a touch of floral sweetness. The bog myrtle adds a subtle resinous depth that distinguishes this from any merely pine-scented gin.
On the palate, the gin is delicately floral with a bold punch of zesty lemon citrus from the base recipe. The pine comes to the fore, offering a burst of resiny flavour that is surprisingly refreshing, balanced beautifully by the floral notes of heather that add elegance and perfume the spirit. Milk thistle emerges subtly at mid-palate, grounding the gin with a hint of earthy bitterness that gives it gravity. The integration of the four Scottish botanicals with the Bombay spice notes — cardamom, clove, anise, fennel — is impressively seamless.
The finish is beautifully smooth and refined. The pine notes gradually fade, leaving behind a lingering sweetness from the heather, with a touch of earthy dryness from the milk thistle. A hint of sweetness emerges, leading to a conclusion that reminds you of the Scottish origins of this unique spirit.
How to Drink It
Use Fever-Tree Indian Tonic and garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary and a twist of lemon — the piney, herbal garnish connects with the Scots pine botanical. For a cocktail, try a Scottish Bramble: Pickering's Scottish Botanicals, lemon juice, sugar syrup, and a float of crème de mûre — the heather and pine notes add a Highland dimension to the classic.
The Bottom Line
Pickering's Scottish Botanicals earns an 8 for successfully marrying the 1947 Bombay recipe with four indigenous Scottish botanicals that add genuine terroir rather than mere novelty. The heather, milk thistle, bog myrtle, and Scots pine are not afterthoughts — they transform the gin's personality while respecting its foundation. The Highland pine character is the standout, and the earthy bitterness from the milk thistle provides a fascinating counterpoint to the base recipe's warmth. At around £32, it represents excellent value for a gin of this quality and originality. Scotland's landscape, in a glass.
