First Impressions
In 1950, Jacobus 'Bobby' Alfons emigrated from Indonesia to the Netherlands and infused Dutch jenever with the spices of his youth. His grandson Sebastiaan discovered an original bottle and partnered with the 7th-generation master distiller at Herman Jansen in Schiedam — two years of tinkering to honour Bobby's recipe. No additives, no sugar.
Tasting
The nose is malty with candied ginger, lemongrass and almonds. On the palate, soft oatmeal from malt spirit — fresh citrus, toasted hazelnut, fiery ginger and cubeb pepper. The finish tingles with warming pepper.
The Bottom Line
Bobby's Jenever earns an 8 for the most moving origin story in genever — a grandfather's Indonesian recipe preserved across decades and continents. The malt spirit base and fiery ginger-cubeb pepper are genuinely distinctive. Every sip connects Indonesian diaspora to Dutch genever heritage.
