Ki No Bi 4 Year Old "Ki Noh Bi Mask - 31st Edition" K&L Exclusive Premier Cru Classé Sauternes Barrel Aged Kyoto Dry Gin (700ml)

There are, on occasion throughout my nearly 20-year career buying spirits, moments that meaningfully shift our perception of what’s possible in any category. This exceptional barrel of gin truly represents one of those moments. It’s not the first barrel-aged gin we’ve sold, by any means—but it is the first time I can definitively say that a barreled gin can hold its own against the great aged spirits being created around the world. Never before have I experienced a product that so honestly captures the character of its base spirit while offering such supple expressiveness from the aging vessel. The closest comparison—not in terms of flavor, but in terms of significance—would be the greatest Highland Scotches. There are indeed some flavor crossovers here, but honestly, there’s simply nothing like this product I’ve encountered in all my years doing this. Nearly five years in highly active sweet Bordeaux barrels have transformed this already exceptional gin into a world-class spirit. It’s almost incomprehensible that there are no plans to recreate what they’ve achieved here. But this is truly a singular expression—never to be repeated—hence the urgency with which we discuss its potential collectibility. Needless to say, I liked it... a lot. Very few spirits wow me the way this gorgeous product does. Let’s try it! I’ll continue to use Whisky Magazine’s Whisky Colour chart to describe a consistent color here, despite it not being whisky. It’s a beautiful orangey hue of russet (1.3). The nose is an intoxicating mélange of pungent candied orange, sweet marmalade, oak spice, and exotic aromatics. The juniper notes combine with the rich French oak character to evoke old-growth pine, while the sweet-savory elements of high-quality Sauternes meld perfectly with sansho and cardamom to create the sense of walking through a lush meadow in full bloom. The contrast between the lush floral and citrus aromas and the deep, high-toned savory components transports you to another place. The imagery of old-growth forest and spring meadow is so vivid and overt, it’s hard to pinpoint another spirit that offers such a robust sensory voyage. Now to the palate: a complex mixture of loose-leaf herbal teas, sweet wildflower honey, cacao, brambly red fruit, Bing cherry, teak, and shiso. It’s impossible not to compare it to whisky, but it’s not quite like whisky—or brandy—it’s simply superb in its own idiosyncratic way. That said, it will no doubt delight any brown spirits drinker who appreciates the finer things in life. I poured this over a big cube last night and spent the evening entranced by its complexity and overt enjoyability. Not long after the first pour, I was getting strong Hibiki 21-year vibes from it—albeit without the malty base note. Very few more delicious spirits have graced our shelves than this exceptional treat.