No longer can it be said that South Korea's Craftbros is but a leading craft beer brewery - the reality is, Craftbros is now just as much an all Korean distillery that's pioneering and defining the country's emerging whisky landscape.

Once best known for this hoppy flavour-forward IPAs, they've now been belting out hit after hit with their Korea single malts since they've ventured headfirst and fearless into distilling in 2023. Now sure, these distilled spirits are technically known as "Newborns" if we go by the international whisky ageing benchmark of being 3 years matured - but boy, are we right on the cusp, and that's extremely exciting. What's made it even more tantalising is the fact that these 2 year-ish Newborns have tasted incredible. They come off way more aged than you'd guess, with such depth and intensity, as well as complexity and length. And to think that the brewer-distiller is just over 10 years old since it was founded in 2014; already Craftbros has made a sterling reputation for itself locally, and I'm convinced that it is but a matter of time before the world takes notice.

And if only that were it! The reality is it goes so much deeper than that. It's pretty well embraced by now - because the results speak for themselves - that the emerging generation of craft whisky distilleries is producing whiskies at an incredible level of quality that has not just impressed, but really, has silenced naysayers. Now the reason for which isn't all that bizarre, given that many of these young distilleries are working off what they've seen possible with more longstanding distilleries, with also a generally higher level of technical knowledge amongst distillers who are guided by a more methodical academic understanding as opposed to guesswork, and finally of course, that many of these distillers had come into whiskymaking from something adjacent - in the case of Craftbros, that would of course be beer! Eddie (or Jooho), Craftbros' distiller, has said just as much, pointing out just how much there is to extrapolate from beer brewing to whiskymaking, with both starting out with similar barley fermentation processes, and also with semblances when it comes to ageing. And so what's come out from these new wave of distillers is therefore not a matter of arcane mysticism, and again, the proof is in the (whisky) pudding.

Craftbros' founder Kang Ki-Moon (강기문) and distiller Jooho Eddie Kim (김주호).

Now if you're already working off the shoulders of giants, I'd say that it's almost a matter of duty to push the envelope further. That's where the folks at Craftbros have really gotten a hold of me - they've most recently begun bottling collaboration spirits under the JEGI series, so named after the beloved childhood toy where kids get together and kick around a feather or streamer with a weighted base. Collaboration releases are really common (and a big thing) with craft beer folks, but not so much with the whisky people just yet. And so what Craftbros has done is to foster a sense of camaraderie amongst various fellow distillers by blending the spirits of both distilleries to produce Double Malt whiskies. Within the context of South Korea, Craftbros has worked with fellow pioneering distiller Kimchangsoo, which in my opinion is a heartening effort to present a unified front towards shaping the Korean whisky scene - there's obviously a long road ahead for the country's whisky journey and friendship goes a long way. 

| Taste Testing Craftbros JEGI Series Collaboration With Kimchangsoo & Soorok; Including First Ever Double Malt Korean Whisky

More than that though, each JEGI series has also included an IPA Newborn, which sees Craftbros distill what would otherwise become one of their famous hoppy IPA's (and so it's something of a beer spirit as opposed to whisky distillate, because it's got hops in there amongst other deviations from whisky standards) and blend it with a heritage spirit of South Korea! Korea has a long and proud history of heritage liquors (known as sool 술) which today is often simplified as soju and makgeolli, which are typically rice spirits fermented with a multi-culture yeast starter known as nuruk, that is then either bottled as a ferment or distilled to become a spirit. Whilst soju and makgeolli have become hugely popular as a result of the export of Korean pop-culture, within the country itself, there's been a massive revolution towards the exploration and revival of ancestral and artisanal recipes, which have in turn become a potent (and very tasty) source of national pride! And so what Craftbros has done is to be a bridge between the modern and the historic, the West and the East. Their collaboration IPA Newborns emanate with symbolism and to that end, I have nothing but respect for their effort in this regard.

To that end, we have the second pair of Craftbros' JEGI series (read our review of the first JEGI series here), which sees a Double Malt Whisky and a IPA Newborn, the former a collaboration with cult Swedish distillery High Coast and the latter with Hwasimjujo (화심소주), a renowned South Korean artisanal Soju-maker.

Let's dig into them!

PS: Cheers Eddie for your great efforts to fostering friendship as you pave new roads for this very exciting journey ahead!

Whisky Review: Craftbros x High Coast JEGI Double Malt Whisky  크래프트브로스 제기 하이코스트

High Coast (once known as Box distillery) comes from the High Coast of Sweden and hence the name. The distillery resides in a historic building that was once a power station and before that a sawmill by the name of Box Limited (and therefore the distillery's original name!). The distillery was established in 2010 and has since built a name for itself with its unique expressions that range from unpeated to peated, as well as its use of local Swedish oak.

The JEGI Double Malt whisky is therefore a blend of Craftbros' Oloroso Sherry aged unpeated Korean single malt whisky with High Coast's Bourbon Cask aged peated Swedish single malt whisky - two single malts therefore make a double malt! This was bottled at cask strength of 56.9% ABV.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Gold

Aroma: A plume of heathery and meaty smoke, candied bacon, oolong tea, chrysanthemum flowers, with also seaweed and a slight air of the ocean breeze. The smoke is gentle, lush, yet deeply aromatic, completely immersive with its floral elements that’s then cusped by candied meatiness and a slight coastal quality. With time it grows more herbal, of smoked tea and lacquered wood. At the back there’s just hints of manuka honey, eucalyptus, as well as dark fruits of plums and prunes. As it opens up, the smoked floral elements continues to dominate.

Taste: Medium-bodied, it’s honeyed with chrysanthemum tea. Punchy, peppery, yet at the same time candied and rich. It leads with herbal eucalyptus and chrysanthemum flowers, which develops onto gentle tones of darker fruits of plums and prunes, with also touches of lacquered wood and ash. It’s concentrated and at the same time lively with that tingly spiciness that’s still very much rounded out by that candied richness. Incredibly cohesive, vibrant and with great intensity.

Finish: Gentle yet perky bitterness of medicinal cough syrup, and a touch of ash. It’s a long finish. Lingering coastal notes of seaweed, peat, oyster shells, sea spray and oolong tea, yet at the same time persistent in its candied richness.

My Thoughts

I am thoroughly impressed! This has got to be my favourite malt whisky release from Craftbros so far (although I'm loosely holding on to that claim as I'm sure there's more to come from them)! This carried that characteristic Craftbros richness and concentration, as well as that great intensity and presence, but what's oomph and power without complexity, and that's where the High Coast collaboration shines. 

It opens with this immersive plume of smoked florals that is further complemented by candied meats, herbal teas and lacquered exotic woods, accented by a light air of sea spray. It's intensely aromatic yet at the same time supple and pillowy, showcasing some of that Sherry cask characteristics with time. On the palate, it carries that candied herbal and floral flavour that's now cusped by a canvas of darker fruits. It's lively and vibrant with this seamless cohesiveness. Into the finish we get a more clear view of that peaty profile with the ashiness and coastal sea spray starting to take over, even as it holds on to that persistent candied richness.

Absolutely terrific! If you're into peated Highland malts this will definitely be right down your alley, with then a touch of Islay that's integrated in so harmoniously! I really enjoyed this flavour profile personally given my penchant for floral and herbal, rich whiskies, yet it's that cohesive layering and power that just makes it a perfect dram. It's evocative and compelling, and something I can't get over!

Review: Craftbros x Hwasimjujo JEGI Collaboration IPA Newborn 크래프트브로스 제기 이파뉴본 화심

Hwasimjujo (or Hwasim 화심) is an artisanal Soju maker founded in 2023 by Korean bartender Sumin Oh (오수민), who has done numerous stints at major bars around the world, perhaps most notably having served as the Ardbeg Distillery bartender on Islay, Scotland. Hwasim has a big focus on sustainability and uses a double distillation process to turn roasted rice or sweet potatoes into Soju.

For this JEGI collaboration IPA Newborn, Oloroso Sherry aged distilled IPA from Craftbros is blended with Hwasim's PX Sherry cask aged Miraon single rice Korean soju, which is then bottled at cask strength of 56.7% ABV.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep Amber

Aroma: Immediately filled with brown sugar candied lychees and longans! It’s candied and herbal with a fruity and leafy core. Incredibly aromatic, it’s rich and so evocative! There’s also lacquered exotic woods, agarwood, along with some tobacco and precious wood resin. More on candied winter melon, pandan leaves, rose petals and eucalyptus. It’s got such power, concentration and depth, almost giving old Asian temples to remarkable clarity.

Taste: Medium-bodied, really good richness and punchiness, it’s immediately peppery yet at the same time honeyed, with still that herbal quality. More on manuka honey, brown sugar, along with aromatic rose petals and hop flowers, as well as tropical fruits of apricots, pineapples and longans soaked in honey. At the back, there’s this exotic floor of agarwood. It’s well bounded yet the layers are apparent as it progresses linearly. Impeccable intensity and depth here, with such a herbal richness.

Finish: That rich and candied, herbal quality carries through, here met with some oakiness, which combines to give a contrasting herbal bittersweetness with brighter elements of rose petals and apricots wafting above, and a touch of that more leafy bit of tobacco and hop flowers forming the base. Lingering aromatics of manuka honey and bitter tobacco.

My Thoughts

This was stunningly complex and takes the distilled IPA character and utterly deepens it and widens its palette yet without forsaking any cohesiveness - somehow everything note is still perfectly assembled! 

Those classic distilled IPA notes of lychees, roses, and hop flowers are still present, yet here we're getting a more herbal and rich profile, with more on brown sugars, candied wintermelons, pandan leaves and stewed tropical fruits, as well as this really remarkable resinous aroma of lacquered exotic woods that's almost reminiscent of a oriental temple of antiquity! It's thoroughly aromatic and I could get lost in the aromas!

Yet on the palate, again we find that hallmark Craftbros richness and intensity - something about the body of their spirits always seems to create this richness and concentration. Those beautiful herbal qualities carry though, and yet those IPA notes of apricots and pineapples are not dimmed in the slightest, still coming through impeccably as we follow this linear progession into the finish. The finish matches much of the palate, yet here with a touch more earthy leafiness of tobacco that provides a nice and restrained bitterness as a counterpoint to the otherwise immense richness.

On both counts of its malt whiskies and distilled IPA collabs, Craftbros has never ceased to surprise and impress. I can't wait for what's next!

Kanpai!

@111hotpot