Peppercorns are the element nobody expects in a maritime gin. Salt, seaweed and citrus are the usual furniture of the style; pepper is not, and here it supplies a restrained warmth that arrives late and gives the coastal half something to lean against. H2B builds the recipe in France on five things only, at 40%.

Two marine plants do the work that gives the gin its name in spirit if not in letter, and they are not interchangeable. Samphire is a green succulent from the splash zone, and what it brings is saline and herbal at once, closer to sea spray than to salt. Dulse is a red seaweed, softer and darker, and it contributes an earthy, faintly umami roundness across the centre rather than any sharpness. Lemon supplies the brightness and the acidity above them both. Juniper is present without dominating, which is a deliberate balance in a recipe this short.

The nose is fresh and mineral: lemon peel first, then a light maritime air and the green vegetal edge of the samphire, with the pepper only hinted at underneath. The palate opens bright and dry on zest and juniper, the samphire salinity and green freshness follow immediately, the dulse rounds the middle, and the peppercorns warm the close. Nothing sweet anywhere, and the finish is crisp, with citrus, a faint saline trace and a soft peppery echo.

A neutral or lightly citrus tonic keeps that clean. Lemon is the obvious garnish, a coastal herb the more faithful one, and the producer even suggests a small cherry tomato, which sounds strange and follows the savoury line honestly. A Gin Fizz suits it, and so does a Martini with a saline turn. Five botanicals give a fault nowhere to hide, and the pepper is the reason the two marine plants do not sound like one idea used twice.