Ki One Batch 1 American Virgin Oak Korean Single Malt Whisky 700ml

Ki One Batch 1 American Virgin Oak is a genuine piece of whisky history: the first single malt ever released in South Korea. Distilled by Three Societies Distillery in Namyangju, east of Seoul, and bottled at 40% ABV without chill filtration, Batch 1 announced an entirely new whisky nation when it debuted in 2023 — and promptly earned a Gold Medal at that year's San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Three Societies was founded in 2020 by Korean-American entrepreneur Bryan Do together with master distiller Andrew Shand, a Scotsman with more than four decades of experience at storied Scotch producers. The distillery's name nods to the three cultures behind it — Korean, American, and Scottish — and its mission is single malt that could come from nowhere but Korea.

Maturation is the story here. Korea's climate swings from sweltering, humid summers to bitterly cold winters, driving the spirit deep into its virgin American oak barrels and pulling out flavor at a pace Scotland cannot match. Roughly two years of these extremes produced a malt with the oak integration of something far older.

The nose offers rich toasted oak, vanilla bean, passion fruit, and cinnamon. The palate is soft yet lively, with peach, banana, and buttery caramel riding a gentle spice into a warming finish. As the opening statement of Korea's first single malt distillery — a numbered, limited first batch — it holds obvious appeal for collectors of inaugural releases and adventurous malt drinkers alike.

• Size: 700ml
• Proof: 80 (40% ABV)
• Class: Single malt whisky, inaugural limited batch
• Origin: Namyangju, South Korea
• Distillery: Three Societies Distillery
• Style: Korean single malt, non-chill filtered
• Composition: 100% malted barley
• Cask/Aging: Matured in virgin American oak barrels through extreme seasonal temperature swings
• Tasting Notes: Toasted oak, vanilla, passion fruit, cinnamon, peach, banana, buttery caramel