Jacobus Alfons, known as Bobby, grew up in Indonesia, settled in the Netherlands, and took to infusing his jenever with Indonesian spices. His grandsons Sebastiaan and David turned that household habit and the Pinang Raci spice blend he used into a gin, made in Schiedam, a town with several centuries of jenever behind it. This France Edition follows the original recipe at 42%.

Eight botanicals, and each is macerated and distilled on its own before the blend is assembled. That is slower than a single charge and it is the point: every plant is caught at its own best moment, then dosed against the others rather than negotiated with in the pot. Four belong to the Schiedam tradition. Juniper carries the structure, coriander seed and fennel bring the herbal and faintly aniseed line, and rosehips add a soft fruitiness that is unusual in a dry gin. The other four come from the Indonesian side: lemongrass for a bright green citrus, cloves and cinnamon for warm spice, and cubeb pepper for a peppery lift with a drying effect at the back.

The nose is layered rather than led by one plant: lemongrass and citrus first, coriander, fennel and rosehip behind, then clove, cinnamon and a hint of cubeb. On the palate the citrus opens, the herbs and aniseed follow, the spice warms the middle, and the cubeb dries the close. No sugar is added, so the aftertaste stays dry and lightly spiced.

Neutral or slightly floral tonic, a stick of lemongrass or an orange slice studded with cloves, and the two halves of the recipe are both visible. It also carries a Negroni, a Tom Collins and a Martini. Distilling eight plants separately costs eight runs instead of one, and the reason to do it is audible. It ends citric, spiced and dry.