Ki No Bi Gin

Flavor Profile

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Could Japanese Gins be the next Japanese whiskey?

That’s the bet of a group of Japanese distilleries who are getting into the gin game. The Kyoto Distillery starts with a base of rice spirit, and then distills them in groups corresponding to their flavor profile. And those flavor profiles are nearly identical to the ones we classify each gin by when we review them.

Citrus includes Yuzu and Lemon.
The Base includes juniper, orris, and Hinoki, a kind of Japanese cypress tree whose wood is sweet and earthy.
Ginger is the spice ingredient.
Floral includes shiso and bamboo leaves.
Sansho pepper adds an herbal note, and a flavor similar to Sichuan peppercorns.
And then there’s the tea category. We don’t have that one, but other wise Ki No Bi Gin follows a fairly similar roadmap.

Each category of botanicals is distilled separately and the blended to make the final Ki No Bi Gin.

And by the way, the name Ki No Bi means The Beauty of the Seasons, and is designed with Harmony in mind.

Tasting Notes

The nose has a fair bit of citrus on it. Kumquat and Yuzu notes, with some supporting notes of green tea and pine-forward juniper. Clean and somewhat classic.

Lots of citrus at first taste. Yuzu and freshly expressed orange oil. Mid-palate is where Ki No Bi Gin veers in a direction that is new and exciting for gin. Juniper with a nice pine note segues into an earthy, herbal, camphoraceous impression that cools and radiates. It reminds me of the coolness that eucalyptus adds to Botanic Australis Gin.

Menthol ebbs while notes of ginger, peppercorn, wormwood, and bitter black tea coolly wane; Ki No Bi Gin has a fairly long and exceptionally dry finish.

The impression is a delicate interplay of yuzu and red shiso leaves, with juniper tying it altogether.

Cocktails

Ki No Bi Gin brings a bitter wormwood note that is not altogether different from the note that a Dry Vermouth brings to a Martini. It works exceptionally well in a very dry Martini. I recommend going light on the Dry Vermouth because of the bitterness. Too much vermouth makes it too bitter in my opinion. Go light if you must, but I think it’s a better gin to experiment with other Martini-like cocktails. Try The Alaska Cocktail; the sweeter yellow variation of Chartreuse adds sweet, herbal notes that I think better complement Ki No Bi.

Again, the peculiar bitterness I think clashes with the bitterness of quinine in a Gin and Tonic. If you really like bitter. Like drinking Amari on its own or a chowing down on a big pile of radicchio, this combination will appeal to you.

I suggest mixing with Ki No Bi Gin in sweeter cocktails and applications. It’s great in a Tom Collins and it adds a much needed contrast with the Rose’s Lime Juice to a Gimlet.

Bartenders may find it difficult to just sub this gin in for Plymouth Gin. Ki No Bi Gin demands a specific and dedicated purpose. It’s a better fit for cocktail programs with drinks designed for it than as a call gin on the shelf.

Overall

Kyoto Distillery’s debut gin is a distinctly Japanese take on gin. Though the accord is somewhat unusual among gins, Ki No Bi Gin has achieved their mission of harmony.

Though fans of both classic and contemporary gins will find Ki No Bi unusual, it’s worth a closer look if you’re willing to put in the effort.

I enjoyed this gin and look forward to more from Kyoto Distillery and Japan in the near future.

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4 thoughts on “Ki No Bi Gin”

  1. There is a great deal of hype and BS in the world of gin and as soon as any gin is mixed with tonic (and which tonic?) it is transformed. For the same reasons, the Gin one might select for a Negroni would be quite different. In my view Ki No Bi along with Tanqueray 10 – is one of the tiny selection of Gins that has the capability to be enjoyed neat, with or without ice. That is the best compliment I can give any spirit. It’s an extraordinary sophisticated drink and in the Gi. Sector – something very special indeed.

  2. I love this gin especially bitterness part. I’m a heavy IPA and Imperial stout drinker so the bitterness of Gin in tonic with Ki No Bi was actually very enjoyable.

  3. I visit a bar this week in Hanoi, and got Kinobi. The Gin & Tonic in 1:2, added with 0.5 part of green tea. Perfect

  4. We recently visited the House of KI NO BI in Kyoto. What a fabulous and enlightening experience. We chose a flight of gins each and had these neat which was a new and surprisingly good experience. Their gimlet made with their Ki No Bi Kyoto Plum and Berry Liquer was fabulous as was their martini’s and other cocktails.