Japan…
The Land of the rising sun. Home of Sushi, Sake, beer vending machines (!), high-speed trains, Sumo wrestling and now…GIN! and boy it’s a good one!
Ki No Bi gin (Which translates as ‘The Beauty of the Seasons’) is made by The Kyoto Distillery which was the first dedicated artisanal gin distillery to open in Japan. They are located in the Fushimi region which more famous for its production of Japanese sake rather than gin distillation.
Their main ethos?
Keep it simple…and they really do. All botanicals are sourced locally (where possible) and include:
- Juniper
- Yuzu
- Lemon
- Sansho pepper
- Kinome Sprout
- Ginger
- Bamboo leaves
- Red perilla
- Gyokuro tea
Elegant and sleek, the Ki No Bi gin bottle looks as good as the gin is contains tastes
Relatively simple list but one that contains some quite intriguing and very Japanese inspired flavours!
As with other spirits distilled in Japan, this gin is a perfect example of a London dry with a slight Japanese twist – the green tea, yuzu, Kinome sprout, bamboo leaves and red perilla takes this gin in a very exciting direction.
What starts off at first as quite citrussy, develops into an earthy herbal impression that cools and radiates. As these flavours calm down, the ginger and peppercorn pop up to give a warming, long finish reminiscent of a traditional London dry. I love how this gin dances between London and the Orient and back again.
Conclusion
This gin is as good neat as it is in a G&T and would also go quite well in a Martini. Its an excellent expression of a London dry with an added twist and this for me makes it quite exciting.
Found out more here
TGB
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