KI NO BI Kyoto Dry Gin is crafted using a selection of Japanese botanicals, including yellow yuzu sourced from the northern part of Kyoto Prefecture, akamatsu wood chips (derived from Japanese red pine), bamboo, gyokuro tea from the Uji region, and green sanshō berries, known as Japanese peppercorns.

Tasting notes

This is one of those elite sipping gins that really needs nothing more than an ice cube to lend itself to enjoyment.  It’s big on taste, with layers of flavors, all tied nicely together.  Citrus is certainly dominant here - so call it citrus forward, but the balance with the backend makes it one of the best sipping gins out of Japan - arguably equal to, or surpassing Etsu Gin.  Don’t look for a lot of heat here - you just won’t find it.

Scentwise the gin is floral dominated with a nice backnote of citrus, and hints of black tea, and pepper in the rear.

Citrus is the big gun in this gin, crisp and bitter, with notes of yuzu, mandarin orange, and lemon pith artfully blending, before hitting some strong but not overwhelming earthy, herbaceous notes which I assume are from the kinome, tea, and cypress.  It’s here where you start to notice the pine resin notes of the  juniper, but the more you think about it, the more likely you are to find it as a minor note, underscoring the tinges of bitterness hidden on the front of the gin.  What’s nice about this is how the juniper carries through each sip, not necessarily a major note, but in how well it holds the whole gin together, I think this is aided in great part by the notes of tea that complement the juniper very well.  It’s after that that you get to the spice notes of black pepper, chinese basil, and just a touch of heat from the ginger.