Only the heart of the distillation is bottled for Heart of Flemish Gin 23. Stokerij De Moor begins with the same grain base and twenty-three-botanical recipe used for Flemish Gin 23, then retains a deliberately narrow central cut. The result reaches 49.3% ABV and yields roughly thirty-five to thirty-six numbered bottles from each batch, making the scarcity a direct consequence of the distillation rather than a change of label or packaging.

The producer names juniper, cardamom, carob, cassia, hops and yarrow within the confidential recipe. Here their outlines are more concentrated. Juniper feels broader and more resinous, cardamom and cassia give the palate a firm aromatic warmth, and carob adds a roasted, almost cocoa-like depth without sweetness. Hops and yarrow tighten the finish through green bitterness and dry herbal detail. Citrus remains present, but it acts as a bright line through the denser spice rather than dominating the glass.

The higher strength gives the gin weight and length, yet the careful heart cut avoids the roughness that can accompany a more indiscriminate high-proof bottling. A few minutes of air bring out the contrast between fresh pine, warm spice and the darker carob note. Tasted neat, the texture is concentrated and persistent; over a single large cube, a little dilution opens the citrus and makes the herbal finish more expansive. It is recognisably related to Flemish Gin 23, but its scale and intensity justify a separate place in the range.

For a long drink, the distillery keeps the same measured ratio: 5 cl of Heart of Flemish Gin 23 with 15 cl of Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water over abundant ice. Several juniper berries perfume the glass, with a few more displayed beside it. The tonic softens the alcoholic warmth without erasing the narrow-cut concentration, leaving the spice, resin and herbal bitterness clearly defined.