Expanding flavour horizons with the Scottish Botanicals Library

To support Scotland’s booming gin industry, Heriot‑Watt University’s International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD), in collaboration with the Scottish Distillers Association (SDA), established the Scottish Botanicals Library, a curated and distillation‑tested collection of Scottish and export‑safe botanicals.

This initiative enables producers to access sensory and chemical profiles of botanicals, dramatically reducing trial‑and‑error, shortening product development timelines, and supporting new product innovation.

Challenge

With over 90 gin distilleries and more than 110 gin brands operating in Scotland, differentiation through botanical choice has become essential. However, product developers faced a complex and time‑consuming task: identifying how unfamiliar botanicals would contribute to aroma, flavour, mouthfeel, and export compliance, especially given that many locally‑sourced plants were untested at commercial scale.

Without a systematic resource, distillers risked costly experimentation, delays, and even regulatory problems, particularly around botanicals not listed as safe for export to major markets such as the USA.

Solution

Supported by Interface, the ICBD and SDA partnership created the Botanicals Library, initially covering over 40 botanicals and later expanded to 72. Each botanical, ranging from lavender and nettles to birch‑growing chaga fungus, was individually distilled and evaluated for sensory characteristics and distillation performance.

The library provides:

• Individual sensory and aroma profiles for each botanical
• Behavioural insights under distillation conditions (e.g. pre‑ or post‑distillation addition)
• Safety and export preparation information, ensuring botanicals meet regulatory requirements such as USA’s Generally Recognised As Safe (GRAS) list
• Available to SDA member distilleries, the library allows distillers to trial botanicals confidently, accelerating recipe development and reducing risk

Impact

The Botanicals Library has been adopted by multiple Scottish gin producers, enabling faster innovation cycles with less reliance on costly experimentation, new product launches with distinctive flavour profiles and breadth of choice, including botanicals that are consistent and sustainably available.

One standout collaborator, Highland Boundary, created the Birch and Elderflower Wild Scottish Spirit using local woodland plants, directly leveraging the library to inform botanical selection. This product helped the company move into new markets and supported local employment.

Edinburgh Gin, via its Seaside Gin project, credited the library and ICBD partnership for enabling rapid product scale-up from boutique stills to a 1000-litre commercial unit, distilling over 1300 bottles per run on multiple monthly batches.

Financially, the library supports an industry responsible for over £600 million in gin exports and over £3.2 billion in total sales, bolstering Scottish competitiveness and innovation in global markets.

Why Heriot‑Watt?

Heriot‑Watt’s ICBD is uniquely equipped in Scotland, and among few in Europe, with the technical infrastructure and botanical expertise needed to support large‑scale sensory and chemical evaluation of botanicals. The library combines academic expertise and practical relevance, offering insights not available commercially elsewhere.

Want to work with us?

This project demonstrates the power of collaboration between academia and industry. Whether you’re a start‑up distiller or an established brand, Heriot‑Watt University can help businesses take ideas from concept to bottle.

Learn more about collaborating with us: www.hw.ac.uk/research‑enterprise