A grape base rather than a grain one is the first thing that separates this Dutch gin from its neighbours. Van Kleef builds on it with an abundance of juniper berries, coriander and angelica seed, and bottles at 43% ABV. Angelica seed is worth pausing on: most recipes reach for the root, which is drier and earthier, while the seed leans greener and more aromatic, and that single substitution shows clearly in the finished gin.

Juniper dominates by some margin, and the recipe is openly generous with it. Around that resinous core, coriander adds a warm, faintly citric seed spice and angelica seed brings a green aromatic lift where a root would have pulled the drink toward earth. The grape base contributes what neither could: a rounder, softer body and a fruitiness that arrives without any fruit being added to the recipe. That is where the fruity and herbal reading of the gin comes from, and it is why a botanical list this short produces something fuller than it should. At 43% the whole thing has good projection and the finish stays clean and fresh.

Robust enough to hold its shape against a mixer, which is exactly what a juniper-forward gin needs to do. A traditional tonic works well and does not need to be a premium one, since the gin has enough character to come through. Lemon peel is the straightforward finish and needs nothing beside it. The producer suggests something more unusual for warm weather: a dash of the house rose liqueur, which softens the juniper and introduces a floral note the recipe does not otherwise contain anywhere. For a gin built on four elements, it covers a good deal more ground than that list would ever suggest. It closes fresh, juniper-led and lightly fruity.