It's been a while coming but we're finally here - and I'm talking Korea's first locally produced single malt whisky, for which Three Societies holds the honour.

We've been fortunate enough to have gone along for the ride since their start, having soft launched with three smaller format bottles also named Ki One, but each featuring the names of an animal representative of the nationalities behind the distillery - the Ki One Tiger, Ki One Unicorn and Ki One Eagle (reviews here). These represent founder Bryan Do's Korean and American heritage, and Master Distiller Andrew Shand's Scottish heritage (hence Three Societies) - you should probably be able to figure which animal goes where.

At this juncture, with two broader (and global) releases, it might worth recapping what Three Societies is about. The distillery is based in Namyangju, which is towards the north of South Korea, an area that goes through the four seasons from really hot summers to really cold winters, and the same goes for the humidity of the area which also experiences seasonal swings - which means whisky that goes through accelerated aging as it "breathes" more in the cask.

Founder Bryan Do (left) and Master Distiller Andrew Shand (right).

It's founded by Bryan Do, who had once worked in a big tech company, but left when his dad told him that he should focus on his own dreams rather than make someone else rich. And so he left to join South Korea's craft beer boom, which happened when tax laws that prohibited craft breweries from operating were lifted. That worked and Bryan eventually sold the brewery, and then wanted to set his eyes on something else - and so he turned to whisky (sidenote: wonder if there'll be Korean rum anytime soon).

However, those same easing of tax laws that happened for beer-making, hasn't applied to whiskies and so locally made whiskies face the same high tax rates that were designed to keep distilled spirits from outside of Korea from getting in and hurting locally brewed (and lower ABV) alcoholic beverages. Ouch.

Nonetheless, Bryan has persevered and here we are.

The first three early releases basically showed us the evolution of the same casks of whiskies over several cycles of those four seasons, which was just fascinating to see how much the whisky would change in a matter of months. Maybe more interesting is also what stayed consistent and would indicate an early idea of the distillery's signature flavour profile - one that was of butterscotch and orchard fruit jams.

The distillery in Namyangju.

This time around, we're going to see what their first two flagship release holds, and we even have the honour of trying these with Bryan and Andrew themselves!

It is worth noting that the ABV for these two flagship releases is lower, and cask strength versions do exist but are only available at the distillery itself. So we're only going to get to try them at 40% ABV, which is certainly lower than the early Tiger, Unicorn and Eagle releases.

Now before you folks go all tongues a-wagging, I'm fairly confident the reason why these are at 40% ABV is because they are targeted at the export market, in which case every ABV hike comes with a corresponding hefty price hike and for the cost conscious with a young (even if exciting) brand breaking into the market, you want as many people being open to trying it, and let's be real, in this economy, price point is a consideration. We ain't no Forbes listers.

And even locally, the same could be said. As mentioned Korea's tax laws around distilled spirits have not yet accommodated the decades ago disbelief that Korea would ever produce its own whiskies, and so for a broader release, again, it's all about that price point I'm guessing. But like I mentioned, cask strength versions do exist.

Regardless, we'll take what we can get, so without further ado, let's go!

Ki One Batch 1 Virgin American Oak, 40% ABV - Tasting Notes

Tasting Notes

Color: Honey gold.

On the nose: Gently opens with creamy-sweet aromas of butterscotch, maple syrup and vanilla cream, joined by light fruitiness of stewed green apples and apricots. There’s a light tannic quality, with subtle notes of pine wood shavings and dried leaves. Not much spice as I would have expected, the aroma was quite straightforward.

In the mouth: Smooth, albeit a little thin on the texture. There’s a defined sweetness of maple syrup, brown sugar, which turns a little tart with notes of sour plum and stewed green apples. There’s a light citrusy spiciness of black peppers, and a dash of cinnamon. It’s not too hot nor harsh, and the flavors are likable.

Finish: Long, with a warm glow of brown sugar, custard, and sarsaparilla syrup. There’s a gentle, fading prickliness of cinnamon and peppers, and a touch of oakiness and sea coconut.

My Thoughts:

Rating: 🍮🚣‍♂️

Gentle like a boat ride in spring. It was a pleasant combination of sweet butterscotch and caramel, together with ripe fruitiness of apples and plums. The texture was smooth, though a tad bit thin at times. However the finish was especially lovely - with deepening brown sugar notes adding depth to the sweetness of the palate. 

Ki One Batch 2, Virgin American Oak and Bourbon Cask, 40% ABV - Tasting Notes

Tasting Notes

Color: Honey gold.

On the nose: Opens slightly brighter and punchier than Batch 1, with some prickliness from white pepper and cinnamon. This moves into more fruity-sweet of citrus, orange blossoms and sour plums. Some earthiness can be detected: light grass and pine wood come to mind. I'm also reminded somewhat of Heaven and Earth green tea.

In the mouth: Hits the tongue with warming spices, and coats it with an oiliness that was not as apparent in Batch 1. Amid the peppery spice, some sweeter notes of sour plums and stewed cherries emerges in contrast. There’s also dashings of honey notes, but with a subtle herbal ginseng accent that reminds me of the Chinese dessert gui ling gao (Tortoise jelly).

Finish: Long. A sweetness of brown sugar and butterscotch, joined by a lingering prickliness of chili spice. It ends with a slight astringency of a deepening oakiness and tobacco notes, a sprinkling of cocoa powder and a vegetal note of dried herbs. 

My Thoughts

Rating: 🥁🌿

I liked that Batch 2 drummed up a bit more heft! You got that trademark sweetness of caramel and fruitiness that we've come to expect from Three Societies, with a more pronounced herbality and peppery spiciness adding vibrancy to the dram! 

Overall

It makes sense that these two batches of whiskies were released as the new flagship expressions for Three Societies. I found both to be friendly and approachable - smooth without much astringency, and could easily see these expressions finding acceptance amongst a wide range of casual whisky drinkers. 

Unlike the first three releases (Tiger, Unicorn and Eagle), however, the Batch 1 and Batch 2 do come in at lower proofs. For those who are more seasoned whisky drinkers, you might find that this might be less potent and more mellow than you might expect if you've tried the earlier releases. 

| Read more: Our reviews of the Ki One Tiger, Ki One Unicorn, and Ki One Eagle.

Overall, these were admirable debuts from Three Societies, and it's got me looking forward to what else is to come from the distillery. While these first two batches were matured in virgin American oak, during the tasting session, Bryan hinted at the future possibility of a fully-Korean single malt release - made using Korean-grown barley and even casks made from trees grown in Korea. You'd bet I made a mental note to keep a lookout. 

| Read more: How Korea's first single malt came to be... A deepdive into the Three Societies Distillery!

@lotusroot518