Bobby's Schiedam Dry Gin is a spirit born from two cultures. Produced in Schiedam, the historic heart of Dutch genever production, it fuses European distilling tradition with Indonesian botanicals — a nod to founder Sebastiaan van Bokkel's grandfather Bobby, who emigrated from Indonesia to the Netherlands in the 1950s, bringing with him a love of the spices and herbs of his homeland.
The result is something genuinely unusual: a gin that uses a genever-style malt wine base but incorporates Indonesian botanicals like lemongrass, clove, and cubeb pepper alongside the traditional European juniper, coriander, and citrus. It is produced in small batches at the Herman Jansen distillery, one of the few remaining genever houses in Schiedam.
On the Nose
The nose immediately signals that this is not a conventional gin. Lemongrass is the first thing you notice — bright, almost grassy, with a citric quality that's distinctly different from lemon peel. Behind it, the malt wine base contributes a subtle grainy richness, while juniper provides an earthy counterpoint. Clove appears as a warm, sweet spice note, and there's a gentle pepperiness from the cubeb that adds complexity without heat. It smells, in a word, fascinating.
The Palate
The palate is where Bobby's really comes into its own. The malt wine base gives the gin a body and weight that grain-neutral spirits simply cannot achieve — there's an almost chewy quality to the texture. Lemongrass dominates the early palate, fresh and vivid, before the juniper asserts itself in the mid-palate. The clove and cubeb provide warmth and depth, while a touch of fennel seed adds a sweet anise note that ties everything together.
What strikes me most is how well-integrated the Indonesian and European elements are. There's no sense of two competing flavour systems; instead, they feel like they belong together, as if someone had been making gin with these exact ingredients for centuries. At 42% ABV, the balance is precisely right.
The Finish
The finish is medium-long and gently warming, with the lemongrass fading gradually and the malt wine richness coming forward. There's a final note of clove and juniper that lingers pleasantly, along with a subtle dryness from the coriander.
Mixing Notes
Bobby's is exceptional in a gin and tonic — use a light tonic and garnish with a stalk of lemongrass or a kaffir lime leaf to amplify those Southeast Asian notes. It's also surprisingly effective in a Negroni, where the malt wine base provides enough weight to stand up to the Campari while the lemongrass adds an unexpected aromatic dimension.
For something more adventurous, try it in a Penicillin variation — Bobby's, fresh lemon, honey-ginger syrup, with a float of smoky whisky. The result is spectacularly good, the Indonesian spices playing off the ginger and smoke in ways that feel both novel and utterly natural.
Bobby's Schiedam Dry Gin is one of those spirits that expands your understanding of what gin can be. It honours both of its cultural traditions — Dutch precision, Indonesian aromatic abundance — without compromising either. This is a bottle that deserves to be better known outside the Netherlands, and if there's any justice in the spirits world, it will be.
