KI NO TEA, the Limited Edition Juniper Gin
© KIRA KARACHO
The Kyoto Distillery is known for its spirit KI NO BI, ‘beauty of the seasons’, launched in 2015 and made using regional products like yuzu, gyokuro (green tea) and sansho (pepper). The distillery collaborated with tea manufacturer Hori-Shichimeien, in operation since 1879, to create KI NO TEA, a limited edition gin.
This luxury gin is made exclusively from tencha and gyoruko tea leaves from a portion of land in the Uji region that has been in use for over 700 years, known throughout Japan for the quality of its teas. ‘On the palate, gentle sweetness like white chocolate spreads slowly, then a distinct juniper flavour comes to the fore. The finish is long and clean with roasty green tea scents’, the distillery’s team declare on their website.
The work of the Kyoto Distillery can be seen in a three-part video series made by Pen Films.
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