Ki No Bi Kyoto Dry Gin (75cl, 45.7%)

Ki No Bi is a Japanese dry gin from The Kyoto Distillery in the Fushimi district of Kyoto, a place long known for sake brewing. It has a London Dry structure and is made on a rice spirit base, reduced with local Fushimi groundwater. Eleven botanicals are split into six groups: base, citrus, tea, herbal, spice, and fruity and floral. Each group is distilled separately and then blended. They include yellow yuzu, gyokuro green tea from Uji, sanshō pepper, hinoki cypress, bamboo leaf, red shiso and ginger. Yuzu leads on the nose, with green tea sweetness and sanshō pepper. On the palate come shiso, grapefruit pith and a tingle of spice, before a warm, gingery, long finish.