Four separate bitter agents appear on this list, which is three more than most gins carry. Gentian, blessed thistle, yarrow and hops each bitter a spirit differently, and a recipe that uses all four is making bitterness its organising principle rather than a finishing touch. Stokerij De Moor double-distils twenty-three botanicals in copper pot stills at 46%.

The bitter quartet divides the work between them. Gentian is the deepest and most medicinal, a root bitterness that sits at the bottom and lasts. Blessed thistle is drier and more herbal, yarrow sharper with a faintly floral edge, and hops the lightest of the four, green and aromatic rather than heavy. Above them the citrus does the lifting: lemon and orange peel supply prominent brightness, and the aroma reads as citrus-forward before any of the bitterness registers. The spice cabinet fills the middle and it is well stocked, cinnamon and cassia warm, cardamom and star anise cool, nutmeg and cloves darker, ginger fresher, cubeb and grains of paradise supplying the pepper. Lavender and rosemary hold the floral and resinous corners. Carob adds a dark sweetness at the base, and liquorice, orris and angelica root anchor everything.

Twenty-three botanicals could easily blur into one another, and the bitterness is what keeps them ordered. Neutral tonic, a well-loaded glass, and no timidity with the measure, since 46% has room. Lemon peel follows the leading citrus; a sprig of rosemary follows the herbs. It also makes a serious Negroni, where four bitter agents meet a fifth. The label carries a two-faced botanical lion, the regional symbol of Flanders. Copper pots and two passes are the slow way to handle a list this size, and the definition shows. It ends bitter, citric and spiced.