"There’s nothing like Japanese craftsmanship, and Kyoto Distillery is all about the art and craft of singular gin." - Andrew Kitz, B-21 Spirits Buyer
Since its founding in 2014, Kyoto Distillery's short run in existence has been one stellar achievement after another, as their truly singular, stunning gins have captured the imagination and adoration of gin enthusiasts everywhere. More than that, the countless awards they've racked up over the last decade speak to the incredible devotion to craft that drives them.
Starting with a pristine (and we mean as pure as the driven snow) rice-based distillate, the team then uses thoughtfully constructed infusion recipes to create gins that are simultaneously classic and distinctive in every way. The flagship Kyoto Dry Gin is the result of hallmark botanicals like juniper and orris root combined with uniquely Japanese ingredients like yuzu, akamatsu bark (from a native red pine), and red shiso leaves. "Explosively aromatic yet balanced ... the elegance is next-level," declares B-21 Spirits buyer Andrew Kitz. It's a perfect base for any classic gin cocktail with its full weight and utterly seamless texture.
The distillery is also a hotbed of experimentation, and the Ki No Tea expression is both "a gin unlike any other" and a classic nod to one of the most important aspect of Japanese culture. Made from the same incredibly pure rice distillate as the rest of the range, the team builds the infusion around top-tier gyokuro and tencha green teas sourced from one of the prefecture's premier tea growers. With just a handful of other botanicals, the tea is indeed the centerpiece of its character, a wildly different but unquestionably beautiful profile that you need to taste to understand.
As the gin category continues to gain steam in interest and popularity, enthusiasts and neophytes alike should be looking to this world-class craft distiller for some of the most enchanting and individual expressions out there.
Why mess with a good thing? Because sometimes that good thing becomes a great thing in the process. The Ki No Tea is great because it’s made with real intension by true artisans who take their crafts very seriously, starting with the wonderfully singular base spirit from Kyoto Distillery’s master distiller. Throw in prized Japanese green teas from renowned tea grower and blender Hori-Shichimeien, and now we have a gin unlike any other. The nose is a category unto itself, expressing gorgeous green notes of great complexity – spring pea shoots, fresh grass, Sencha and edamame, among others that escape description. Savory nori seaweed and sesame seed complement the bouquet, with a flicker of bruised apple and green banana undertones.
The palate likewise shows incredible savory complexity with pure roasted Sencha and Gyokuro tea leaves, steamed brown rice, and fine woody undertones from the akamatsu red pine used during the infusion. The mouthfeel is head-turning, with outstanding tension between the full weight of the spirit and its firm, grippy texture. The very long finish is underscored by complex, deep citrus confit and very subtle but lasting notes of juniper berry. Cocktail game-changer? Sure, but this really deserves to shine on its own.
94 points, Andrew Kitz, B-21 Spirits Buyer (Jun 2026)
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