Quick answer: Roku Gin ($28–35) is the one to reach for if you want an easy, widely stocked bottle for gin and tonics or cocktails — six Japanese botanicals plus eight traditional ones, 43% ABV, made by Suntory in Osaka. Ki No Bi ($76–112) is the one for sipping and paying attention — a small-batch Kyoto gin where six botanical categories are distilled separately and blended, built to be tasted more than mixed. If you’re deciding between the two, the real question isn’t which is “better,” it’s whether you’re buying a mixer or a bottle to sip neat.
Two Different Jobs, Not Two Versions of the Same Gin
Roku launched in Japan in July 2017 and reached the US the following year, made by Suntory Spirits in Osaka. Its six Japanese botanicals (sakura flower, sakura leaf, yuzu peel, sencha tea, gyokuro tea, and sansho pepper) sit alongside eight traditional gin botanicals such as juniper. They’re chosen to be recognizable rather than experimental, and the bottle is priced and distributed like a mainstream spirit: it’s on shelves at Target and most major liquor retailers for $28–35.
Ki No Bi came out of the Kyoto Distillery in October 2016, a full year before Roku, and it was built with a different goal. Its botanicals — yuzu, akamatsu (Japanese red pine) wood chips, bamboo, gyokuro tea, and green sansho berries — are grouped into six categories (Base, Citrus, Tea, Herbal, Spice, and Fruity & Floral) and distilled separately before blending. Roku is also distilled botanical by botanical, so the method isn’t what separates them on price. Ki No Bi is made in much smaller volumes, which is a large part of why it retails closer to $76–112 rather than Roku’s $30 range.
Roku Gin vs Ki No Bi: Comparison at a Glance
| Roku Gin | Ki No Bi | |
|---|---|---|
| Distillery | Suntory Spirits, Osaka | The Kyoto Distillery |
| Launched | 2017 (Japan), 2018 (US) | 2016 |
| ABV | 43% | 45.7% |
| Botanicals | 14 (6 Japanese + 8 traditional), distilled separately and blended | 6 categories, distilled separately and blended |
| Typical US price | $28–35 | $76–112 |
| Best for | Gin and tonic, cocktails, everyday use | Sipping neat or on the rocks, gifting |
Botanicals: Sakura and Sencha vs. Yuzu and Bamboo
Roku’s botanical list leans toward flavors most people already associate with Japan — cherry blossom, green tea, yuzu citrus, a mild peppery finish from sansho. Suntory distills them separately, by type, in four kinds of pot still at its Liquor Atelier in Osaka, then blends the results. It reads as approachable rather than showy, which fits its role as a mixing gin.
Ki No Bi’s ingredients are the more unusual part. Instead of Roku’s familiar Japanese flavors, it uses less common ones such as red pine wood chips and bamboo, grouped into six categories (citrus, tea, herbal, spice, fruity/floral, and base) that are each distilled separately and then blended. Since both gins are distilled in separate runs, the price gap of three to four times comes mostly from scale: Ki No Bi is a small-batch Kyoto gin, while Roku is made in volume by Suntory.
Which One Should You Buy?
- Building gin and tonics for a party, or want an easy bottle for classic cocktails: get Roku. It’s inexpensive enough to mix freely and stocked at most major retailers.
- Want a bottle to sip neat or on a single large rock, or you’re buying a gift for someone who already has a well-stocked bar cart: get Ki No Bi. At this price, it’s a sipping gin first and a cocktail base second.
- New to Japanese gin entirely and not sure you’ll like the category: start with Roku. It’s the lower-risk purchase, and if the botanical profile appeals to you, Ki No Bi is the natural next bottle to try.
Shop Roku Gin or Ki No Bi at The Whisky Exchange.
Weighing Roku against a classic London Dry instead? See our Roku Gin vs Sipsmith comparison.
FAQ
Is Roku Gin or Ki No Bi better for a martini?
Neither is a traditional London Dry-style martini gin, but Roku’s cleaner, more neutral base makes it the easier substitute if a recipe calls for a classic dry gin. Ki No Bi’s more layered profile works better in a martini if you want the botanicals to be part of the drink’s character rather than a backdrop.
Why is Ki No Bi so much more expensive than Roku?
Mostly scale. Both gins distill their botanicals separately before blending, so the method isn’t the difference. Ki No Bi is made in much smaller volumes at the Kyoto Distillery, while Roku is produced in volume by Suntory.
Are there other Japanese gins worth knowing about?
Yes — Japanese craft gin has grown well beyond these two since Ki No Bi’s 2016 launch. Roku and Ki No Bi are simply the two most established and widely available outside Japan, which makes them the natural starting comparison.
Can I get either of these on Amazon?
Not reliably. Like most spirits bottles, in-stock liquor listings are thin on Amazon.com; both are more consistently available through dedicated spirits retailers and, in Ki No Bi’s case, specialty gin shops given its smaller production run.
Final Thoughts
Roku and Ki No Bi make an unusually clean before-and-after case study in what more expensive gin actually buys you: not necessarily “better,” but a different process and a different intended use. Roku is built to be an everyday mixing gin at a mixing-gin price. Ki No Bi is built like a craft product meant to be tasted slowly, and it’s priced accordingly. Buy based on how you’ll actually drink it rather than which one sounds more premium on a shelf.
