People and I – Ki No Bi Sei

I do like overproof gins. In this case, I will take a closer look at the Japanese Ki No Bi Sei Gin from the Kyoto Distillery. Since the regular strength Ki No Bi Gin already won me over, I was very intrigued by how the Sei would behave in cocktails. To test the gin’s mixability, I came up a Gimlet variation using home-made Rhubarb Cordial and elderflower liqueur.

The Ki No Bi Sei uses the same eleven botanicals distilled in the same six different “elements” as the bottling with an ABV of 45,7 % ABV. However, the amounts of the different portions were altered to bring out the individual botanicals at the higher ABV. Finally, the gin is diluted with the Fushimi spring water to an ABV of 54,5 %.

Lemon and Yuzu notes

When you sip the Ki No Bi Sei, you instantly notice the relation with the regular Ki No Bi Gin. There are similar pepper and menthol notes in the taste. Yet, the Sei gives its citrus flavours a bigger stage. For me the lemon and Yuzu peel notes are more pronounced in addition to a certain bitter orange taste. Obviously, you can taste the higher ABV, but at the same time the gin feels even a bit more balanced than the 45,7 % ABV bottling.

Japanese Rhubarb Gimlet

Well, it is not exactly rocket science to come up with a Gimlet variation as a cocktail using the Ki No Bi Sei. However, I used home-made Rhubarb cordial and also added a bit of elderflower liqueur. In the end, I balanced out the whole drink with a splash of lime juice.

Apart from the obviously refreshing taste of the cocktail, the rhubarb, elderflower and gin notes work together very well. The Ki No Bi Sei has enough power to stand up to the St. Germain liqueur which in turn balances out the whole drink. The acidity of the cordial and the lime juice keep the drink from being too sour.

Juniper forward Gin & Tonic

With all these new gins and tonic waters around, it is easy to forget what a G&T really is about: Juniper, botanicals and the bitterness as well as some sweetness from the tonic water. Maybe, throw in a lemon slice for some citrus notes. For me, that is what a classic Gin & Tonic should taste like. Of course, all modern variations with additional flavours, as long as they are high quality, are also fine. Yet, I was craving this “classic” taste and luckily I found just the right combination to recreate it. The Ki No Bi Sei and the Thomas Henry Botanical Tonic Water.

 

 

Interestingly, the Thomas Henry Botanical Tonic brings out the juniper notes in the Sei Gin. Of course, you can still make out some citrus notes, but the highball really is “botanical”-forward. It is a bit hard to put your finger on which botanicals exactly, but for me there were coriander seeds and cardamom notes present. All in all, this is not a Gin & Tonic water for the faint-hearted.

Bitter and citrusy Negroni

As a third drink with the Ki No Bi Sei I mixed up a Negroni variation. Apart from using the Sei Gin, I replaced the Campari with the Silvio Carta Bitter Roma Assoluto. On top of that, I also used the excellent Mancino Sakura Vermouth. The drink first starts off with pronounced bitter notes from the Bitter Roma. Yet, after a while the flavours of the Sei Gin and the vermouth balance out the cocktail. You can taste more citrus notes and even the slightest whiff of cherry blossoms. I guess it does not come as a surprise that I enjoyed this Japanese version of a Negroni very much!

 

 

*The fact that I received a product reviewed in this article for free, did not – in any way – influence the rating of said product. The gin was provided by Pernod Ricard.