Good news for all the gin aficionados out there, the Kyoto Distillery, KI NO BI, has just released a limited-edition bottling to commemorate the 5th anniversary of its launch. Made available in only a few countries in Asia — like Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore for the time being, this exclusive launch of KI NO BI GO Kyoto Dry Gin will mark the only production of the gin in the history of the brand.

Instead of Hinoki (Japanese Cypress), GO has replaced its staple ingredient with Akamatsu (Japanese red pine), increasing the botanicals’ qualities to a higher strength of 50 per cent abv as compared to its predecessor. The newly infused gin also takes on a more festive touch with its use of pine notes, reminiscent of the familiarity of smelling freshly-cut Christmas trees in December.

• READ MORE: The Nuances Between Japanese And Western Whisk(e)y

Topped with rice spirit and regional botanicals such as yuzu, ginger and gyokuro tea from Uji, the flavour of the gin is still signature of that to the brand, yet stronger and sweeter in spirit. 

When we break down the tasting notes, experienced gin connoisseurs will be able to experience the sweet and fruity components of yuzu, sansho, and gyokuro on the nose. And on the palate, they’ll be able to taste a gradual shift from sweet to peppery with the introduction of sansho, Akamatsu and citrus. Finally, the gin’s blend of Akamatsu and juniper will round the journey of GO off with a hint of ginger and lemon.

If you’re not one for drinking gin neat, you can also elevate the taste of GO with a classic tonic or infuse it into cocktails like Negroni or High Ball.

Besides its reinvented flavour, GO’s bottling has also been updated to mark the brand’s 5th anniversary in writing and design. The bottle now has the Japanese word for ‘5’ and characters — “五周年” (translated to 5th Anniversary) embossed into its new label using KI NO BI’s classic karakami pattern. 

On top of GO, KI NO BI’s range of gins also includes the classic KI NO BI Kyoto Dry Gin — a creamy Hinoki-based flavour bottled at 45.7 per cent abv, KI NO BI SEI Kyoto Dry Gin — similar to the Dry gin but bottled at a higher abv of 54.5 per cent, and KI NO TEA Kyoto Dry Gin — a unique take on gin with a roasted seaweed-like taste using Kyoto’s native Gyokuro and Tencha teas, bottled at 45.1 per cent abv.

If you do manage to get your hands on KI NO BI GO this season and find that you like it, we recommend comparing the tastes of its counterparts to explore the vast world of gin a little more and see what else it has to offer.

Only 360 bottles of KI NO BI GO are available in Singapore. To purchase, you can find the gin at the Pernod Ricard Singapore’s members club – Le Cercle, ATLAS or via email at hello@le-cercle.sg.

This article first appeared on L’Officiel Singapore.

For more alcohol reads, click here.