At The Gin Library we have a selection of the finest Japanese gin available on the market. Collected from Ali & Caroline’s time in Japan on numerous business trips and holidays. The Japanese gins are only available as part of the sushi and gin tasting experience or as a VIP tasting.
Japanese gin is slowly gaining worldwide recognition as one of the premier gin distilling countries. And just like the country itself, it may not be the first, nor does it aspire to be. It just aims to be perfect. And the gins that they produce are certainly that.
Our Japanese gins include:
Nikka Coffey Gin: In 1963, Nikka Whisky founder Masataka Taketsuru imported Coffey stills from Scotland, and they are still used to produce spirits at the brand’s Miyagikyo distillery today. One of the liquids that comes off of those stills is Coffey Gin, a spirit that joined Nikka’s portfolio in 2017. Eleven botanicals go into it, including four types of Japanese citrus, coriander seeds and apples, which is a nod to Nikka’s heritage and history.
KI NO BI Dry Gin: As the first Japanese gin made in Kyoto, KI NO BI has made a big impression in the category. Like the name suggests, this gin stays true to the dry style but uses Japanese ingredients—think yellow yuzu, bamboo and green sansho peppercorn—to give it a unique flavour. When distilling the botanicals, Kyoto Distillery separates them into six categories (base, citrus, tea, herbal, spice and floral), distills each category individually, then blends them together to create KI NO BI Dry Gin.
Roku Craft Gin: Suntory is known for its highly sought-after whiskies, but the brand’s Roku Craft Gin also deserves your attention. The word Roku means “six,” which represents the six Japanese ingredients (including sencha tea and sakura flower) that go into each batch of this smooth spirit. Like Kyoto Distillery, Suntory distills their botanicals separately according to category in one of four distinct types of pot stills. It’s then filtered through bamboo charcoal to give it a smooth, lightly sweet flavour.
