This Explorers' Strength version is Darren Rook's 'navy strength' tribute to the Victorian-era botanists of the Royal Botanic Gardens, those who have scoured the globe to bring back rare botanicals since 1795. Where the Kew Organic highlights a complex, citrusy expression of London gin, the Explorers' Strength takes you on a more robust spice trail featuring cinnamon, nutmeg, cubeb berry and Sichuan pepper. Distilled in Dodd's 140-litre copper alembic, 'Christina', this includes 15 organic botanicals, split between spice and citrus (bergamot, orange, grapefruit and lemon peel), with some botanicals sourced from the gardens itself. Unlike the Kew Organic, a marriage of four separate distillations, Explorers' Strength is distilled in the classic one shot fashion.

Tasting note: Clear. Issues a superb bouquet of super-fresh pine needle, herbal tea, orris root and muted citrus. Follows through to a creamy-yet-intense juniper, cool-mint and potpourri attack with blackpepper and exotic spices building towards the finish. Like a gin cough lozenge, this almost melts in your mouth. Seriously good. 57.3% Alc./Vol.