Ki No Tea Kyoto Dry Gin / 45.1% / 0.7l

Kyoto Distillery was established in 2014 by Noriko Kakuda Croll, David Croll and Marcin Miller.

In the 1990s, Noriko and David imported Scotch whisky from small, private distilleries (Arran and Springbank) and the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Marcin, in turn, was the editor-in-chief of Whisky Magazine, and later founded No. 1 Drinks Company, which took over the stock from the closed Karuizawa Distillery. After two years of experimentation, Ki No Bi Kyoto Dry Gin debuted in October 2016 (its name means “the beauty of the four seasons”). Two years later, the Ki No Tea Gin presented here hit the market, produced in cooperation with Horii Schichimeien, a tea producer (on the market since 1879). This time, the company does not disclose the full list of botanical ingredients, the most important of which are tencha and gyokuro tea leaves, as well as juniper berries, yuzu and Hinoki cypress. In 2018, this gin won first prize at the World Gin Awards. (Producer’s note.)

Sweet and delicate aromatic bouquet. On the palate, the mild sweetness of white chocolate balanced by notes of juniper, and in the long finish, green tea reigns.

The manufacturer recommends serving it with premium tonic and yuzu peel or with cold green tea and olives marinated in soy sauce.