Ki No Tou Kyoto Old Tom Gin
Ki No Bi · Kyoto Distillery
Ki No Tou is the Kyoto Distillery's masterful take on the Old Tom style, bringing a distinctly Japanese sensibility to a classic British template. The restrained sweetness allows the exquisite botanical composition to shine—each sip feels like walking through a Kyoto garden in late October. A contemplative, harvest-season gin that rewards patience and attention.
Nose
An inviting wave of toasted rice and dried persimmon gives way to delicate yuzu peel and sandalwood. Underneath, a gentle sweetness reminiscent of golden barley sugar and chamomile emerges. Faint whispers of bamboo leaf and white pepper linger at the edges.
Palate
Silky and subtly sweetened in the Old Tom style, the palate opens with warm ginger and coriander seed before flowering into orris root and dried citrus blossom. A mid-palate note of roasted hinoki wood and cassia bark adds autumnal depth, while juniper remains present but gracefully restrained.
Finish
Medium-long and warming, with lingering notes of toasted sesame, soft licorice, and a final echo of yuzu and bamboo charcoal. The gentle sweetness carries through to the very end.
- Style
- Old Tom
- Botanicals
- Juniper, yuzu, hinoki wood chips, bamboo leaf, gyokuro green tea, sanshō pepper, kinome leaf, ginger, coriander, orris root, cassia bark, lemon peel
- Base Spirit
- Rice spirit (Japanese rice shochu-style base)
- Distillation
- Pot-distilled in individual botanical categories (six groups), then blended—a signature Kyoto Distillery technique ensuring precise layering of flavor
Cocktail Suggestion
Harvest Lantern — 2 oz Ki No Tou Kyoto Old Tom Gin · 0.75 oz fresh yuzu or Meyer lemon juice · 0.5 oz honey syrup (2:1) · 2 dashes aromatic bitters · Shake with ice, strain into a coupe, garnish with a thin lemon wheel and a sprig of thyme
Food Pairing
Miso-glazed black cod served with roasted delicata squash and pickled ginger. The sweet white miso caramelization mirrors the Old Tom's gentle sweetness, while the rich, flaky fish provides a luxurious textural counterpoint to the gin's silky body. The pickled ginger bridges directly to the botanical's warm spice notes.
Born from the same Kyoto Distillery that gave us Ki No Bi, Ki No Tou reimagines the Old Tom tradition through the lens of Japanese terroir, using bamboo charcoal-filtered Fushimi water and botanicals sourced along the ancient Tokaido road.
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