KI NO BI Kyoto Dry Gin
The Kyoto Distillery is Japan’s first dedicated artisanal gin distillery. They are located in Minami-Ku, in the south part of Kyoto City, close to the Fushimi region, famed for hundreds of years for its production of delicious nihon-shu (Japanese sake). KI NO BI ('The Beauty of the Seasons') gin is made with a high-quality rice spirit and local botanicals including yuzu, hinoki, sansho pepper and gyokuro tea. Konwa means ‘combining and creating harmony’ and is the name given to the gin’s blending process. The botanicals are broken down into six different categories, then left to macerate in rice spirit. Each category is distilled separately and then blended back together again. This elaborate process ensures only the purest and finest flavours are obtained. The spirit is then left to marry which allows the disparate flavours to harmonise, giving perfect balance. The newest batch will then be married with that of the previous week for several days to settle. Encouraging consistency of flavour to produce a super-premium gin and completely in harmony with its Kyoto home. On the palate it’s thick, sweet, oily then explodes with creamy citrus notes folded with juniper.