Export strength means the bottle was filled before anyone thought to dilute it for a domestic market, and at 47% the difference is not subtle. The same eleven botanicals that make the standard Jawbox are here, Black Mountain heather among them, distilled in small batches in copper pot stills, but the extra alcohol changes what reaches you and in what order.

Higher strength carries more aromatic material, and juniper is the first beneficiary. It arrives pronounced and unmistakably piney, more forceful than the standard bottling allows, and pine stays alongside it through the whole aroma. Coriander and fresh citrus balance that opening without softening it. Across the palate the order is unusually clear: citrus and juniper first, then peppery hints from cubeb and grains of paradise, then green angelica, and finally a subtle rootiness from orris and liquorice root that most gins let disappear at this stage. Cardamom cools the middle. Lemon peel keeps a bright line running above everything. The finish returns to juniper and pine and stays there for some time, supported rather than crowded by the rest, which is what eleven botanicals should do and often do not.

At this strength the mixer has real work to do and can afford to. Use a neutral tonic in a slightly larger proportion than usual, ice the glass thoroughly, and expect the drink to hold its shape as the ice melts. Lemon peel is the right garnish and repeats the recipe. It also makes a serious Martini, where the strength is an asset rather than a risk. Ninety-six points in London in 2023 confirms the obvious. Selling a stronger version of a gin only makes sense when the recipe has more to give, and eleven botanicals is enough to have kept something in reserve. It ends piney, peppery and long.