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Kyoto
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Kyoto is an artisanal gin distillery located in the Japanese city of the same name. It was founded in 2014 by the UK-based importer and independent bottler, Number One Drinks, a company notable for its sought-after bottlings of Karuizawa single malt whisky in the 2010s. It selected Kyoto as the location on account of its soft water source and abundance of locally-grown ingredients.
The distillery received its distilling license in 2016, beginning production of its pot-distilled gin later year. Specialising in dry gins, it distils these from rice spirit, infusing it with a variety of locally-sourced botanicals.
The Kyoto brand was launched in 206 with the release of its flagship K No Bi gin. The foundation for the spirit is what the company refers to as six elements: base, citrus, herbal, spice, green tea, and fruity and floral. These are achieved by the use of eleven local botanicals: juniper berry, orris, akamatsu, yuzu, lemon, sansho, kinome, ginger, green tea, shiso and baboo leaves.
Other expressions include the gyokuro and tencha green tea-infused Ki No Tea, and old Tom style gin called Ki No Tou and the Ki No Bai plum and cherry liqueur. Cask-aged versions of Ki No Bi are also produced and feature ex-Kilchoman whisky casks, ex-Henri Giraud champagne casks and ex-wine casks from the neighbouring Amanohashidate winery.
Introduced in 2017, the brand also offers limited edition batches of aged gin called Ki Noh Bi which feature premium casks-finishes such as ex-Caroni rum and ex-Karuizawa whisky barrels.
2016-present
Kyoto Distillery
15 Kisshoin Shimanomazumecho
Minami Ward
Kyoto
601-8363
Japan
Active brands
Gin
