Ki One (pronounced key-one) is Korea’s first ever single malt and is produced at the country’s first dedicated whisky distillery – Three Societies near Seoul. The distillery was founded in 2020 by Bryan Do, a Korean-American entrepreneur. He sought the advice of highly-regarded whisky consultant Andrew Shand, a Scotsman with a whisky history dating to 1980 and one that includes time working for The Glenlivet, Nikka and Speyside distilleries.
Three Societies is located 30km (18.5 miles) north of Korea’s capital, Seoul, in the Gyeonggi Province. The distillery uses equipment made by the famous Forsyth’s coppersmiths in Scotland and has an annual production capacity of one million litres. This equipment includes a small still for experimentation with bourbon and rye-style whiskies, gin and other innovative spirits distilled to date. Ki One is their flagship whisky and it first appeared on the market in early 2023.
The Ki One Virgin American Oak has been fully matured in new American oak barrels and is designed to be the inaugural permanent product in the Ki One core range. Further additions to this range are expected in due course. It is bottled at 46% ABV and is both non-chill filtered and of natural colour. The whisky is available in a small selection of world markets to begin with, including the UK. A bottle will cost £75.
Our Tasting Notes
The colour is vibrant gold and the nose is packed with bright and spicy aromas. There is plenty of freshly sawn oak and vanilla custard to begin with. Aromas of green apple, lemon zest and muscovado sugar are also evident, as is a hint of cocoa nibs and menthol. There is also a further herbal aroma present throughout that is reminiscent of fresh oregano leaves.
On the palate this whisky feels creamy initially before becoming more spicy, woody and chalky. The creaminess is led by the vanilla custard from the nose – think of good patisserie custard like crème anglaise – plus some very milky chocolate. Then comes some fairground toffee apple, candied lemon and crumbly brown sugar, plus a pinch of cocoa powder and hints of mocha and golden syrup.
This is a whisky of two halves with the second half showing a hotter and oaky edge. That freshly sawn oak from the nose leads the way – this adds to the creaminess to begin with and adds a note of toasted dessicated coconut, before becoming drier. This dryness is accentuated by an increasing warm peppery nature, plus hints of cinnamon bark and menthol throat lozenges. A late note of tinned peaches also comes through.
The finish is of decent length and slowly becomes more drying and peppery. The wood, spices and cocoa powder notes all contribute to this. The green fruit and sweet elements fade a little sharply to leave the other characteristics to shine.
What’s The Verdict?
This is our first time sampling Ki One and it is a pleasant experience. The whisky is clearly youthful and shows this through its vibrancy, freshness and green nature. The influence of the new American oak casks used in maturation is clearly evident with plenty of oak and woody characteristics on show. The Ki One Virgin American Oak shows plenty of promise and we look forward to seeing what the Three Societies distillery do with the brand going forwards, and what they will add to the range of single malts.
