The Ki One Distillery (Three Societies)

The Ki One Distillery (formerly Three Societies) was founded in 2020 in Namyangju, South Korea, just 30 kilometers northeast of Seoul, as the world’s first Korean single malt distillery. Drawing inspiration from the great whisk(e)y producers of the world, The Ki One Distillery aims to capture and bottle the heart and soul of Korea using traditional methods.

Korean American Founder Bryan Do quit his executive-level job at Microsoft in 2012 to pursue his passion in the beverage and hospitality world, first opening a pub, then establishing one of Korea’s seminal craft breweries as part of the first wave of Korean craft beer. In 2018, he turned his sights from brewing to distilling with the aid of Scottish Master Distiller and Master Blender Andrew Shand.

Shand, who possesses over forty years of whisky distilling experience, started his career in 1980 at Glenlivet before joining Nikka in 1991 as Master Distiller. In 2001, he became Master Distiller and Master Blender at Speyside until its sale in 2011 when he started his own consulting company, designing and building distilleries and malting facilities around the world.

When Do and Shand set out to distill the terroir and culture of Korea, they asked themselves one simple question—what does Korea taste like? The resounding answer was spice, and particularly the fermented red chili pepper condiment gochujang, an inherent component of nearly all Korean food. The Ki One Distillery celebrates and embraces this spice, allowing it to guide their approach to crafting spirits with a clearly defined house style before they even begin distilling.

Malted barley sourced from Scotland and England undergoes an extended fermentation between 120 and 180 hours, lending opulent tropical fruit notes which complement the profiles the team seeks during aging. Constant experimentation with different cask types contributes the spice-driven house style of The Ki One Distillery. The majority of the distillery’s barrels comes from Kentucky, but Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks are also utilized in addition to other local and global selections including wine barrels, beer casks, and new Korean white and red oak (which share organoleptic properties with Mizunara oak!).

With four clearly defined seasons marked by extreme heat in the summers, and entirely sunless, frigid winters, Namyangju has proven to be an aging and maturation utopia. Shand estimates the climate lends itself to two-and-a-half to four times the cask maturation rate of spirits aged in Scotland, producing incredibly mature whiskies that come into their own in as little as one year.

To expand upon their goal of creating spicy expressions of Korean terroir, The Ki One Distillery also produces single malt gin incorporating distinctly Korean botanicals, many of which are locally and sustainably sourced or foraged from the surrounding environment. Close, reciprocal relationships with other local brewers, distillers, and farmers form bonds which, in turn, facilitate a collaborative community of Korean producers.