House of KI NO BI is a Kyoto-based distillery that specializes in producing premium gin using traditional Japanese distillation techniques. The distillery was founded in 2015 by David Croll, Marcin Miller, and Alex Davies, who wanted to create a gin that reflected the essence of Kyoto, one of the most culturally-rich cities in Japan.

KI NO BI is a phrase that means “the beauty of the seasons” in Japanese, and the distillery takes this concept to heart by using locally-sourced botanicals that change with the seasons. The botanicals include yuzu, sansho pepper, green tea, bamboo leaves, and kinome (a type of Japanese pepper), among others, all of which are grown in the Kyoto area.

The distillery uses a unique process that involves steeping the botanicals in a neutral spirit before distilling the mixture in copper pot stills. This allows the distillery to create a gin that is both complex and balanced, with each ingredient contributing to the overall flavor profile.

One of the unique things about House of KI NO BI is their range of different bottlings. They offer four different expressions of their gin, each of which is distilled using the same base recipe but with different botanicals added in varying proportions. KI NO BI Kyoto Dry Gin is the flagship expression, and it is made with eleven botanicals, including yuzu and sansho pepper. KI NO TEA Gin is made by adding tencha (a type of green tea) to the base recipe, while KI NO BI SEI Gin is aged in oak casks to give it a more complex, woody flavor. Finally, KI NO BI Navy Strength Gin is a higher-proof version of the flagship expression that is bottled at 54.5% ABV.

In addition to their regular expressions, House of KI NO BI also produces limited-edition bottlings that are released periodically throughout the year. These bottlings often feature unique flavor profiles and packaging, making them highly sought after by collectors and gin enthusiasts.