A Tiger, a Unicorn, and an Eagle: what do all of them have in frequent? That’s proper – Korea’s Three Societies Distillery.
The title itself ought to offer you a way that one thing in regards to the distillery’s story includes three completely different formative components coming collectively. Bryan Do, the founder, is Korean American, represented by the Tiger and the Eagle, whereas his accomplice Andrew Shand is Scottish, represented by the Unicorn.
Now, I’ve beforehand reviewed on Malt the inaugural launch from the Korean distillery: the Tiger, which was aged for 13 months in virgin American oak casks. Within the blink of an eye fixed we’re clocking in at 21 months of ageing – or, particularly two extra seasons, in Korea – which is the idea of the second launch: the Unicorn.
We’ve already gone into element the story behind the Three Societies Distillery, so I received’t put on out my pricey keyboard going over it once more. As an alternative, I need to speak economics and commerce coverage. Now, earlier than you rise up and go away, let me clarify why they matter to a rustic like South Korea!
There are various methods to classify alcohol: distilled versus non-distilled, completely different base substances, geographical places, pot nonetheless versus column nonetheless, and so forth. It’s as various as there are folks on this planet. Okay, that may have been an exaggeration, however you get the thought.
Right here’s one other method to consider it, and I discover it more and more pertinent as extra nations outdoors of the UK start to dabble into making their very own whiskies: native alcohol or international alcohol. This doesn’t need to do with the place it’s produced (that’s for one more time), however whether or not or not a selected alcohol hails from a selected nation. Korea has Soju and Makkgeolli, Japan has Sake and Shochu, Scotland has – after all – whisky.
It’s fairly obvious that many of those alcohol producers show to be formidable forces in every of those nations’ economies. Not solely do they exert appreciable political suasion, however they’re additionally accountable for some fairly necessary stuff like employment. In nations like Japan, Suntory and Asahi’s enterprise go far past alcoholic drinks and have unfold their pursuits throughout many aspects of society far faraway from fermenting some alcohol.
Or, check out Taiwan – which has now develop into one of many main whisky producing areas – the place Kavalan Distillery was held again for a very long time as a result of the federal government themselves wished to monopolise the profitable alcohol market to lift tax income with their very own Taiwan Beer. To those of us, alcohol isn’t simply good instances and high quality craft; it’s additionally a complete lot of economics and coverage.
Given how massive these alcohol companies are and the importance they’ve nationally, you possibly can count on that they’re given a complete lot of safety, which is the place the commerce coverage is available in. As globalization would have it, each market immediately interacts with each other; shoppers in Japan completely love America’s bourbon, drinkers in America can’t get sufficient of Mexico’s tequila, the world is head over heels for Japan’s whisky. The beauty of the world we dwell in right this moment, is that – for probably the most half – if we just like the produce of one other nation, we are able to get our arms of it with out travelling overseas and lugging a few bottles all the way in which again.
Who might argue in opposition to having extra choices? Native companies can. When international merchandise begin to give native produce a run for his or her cash, you may think governments start to really feel the warmth to guard their very own variety.
This will take the type of authoritarian banning of sure merchandise outright, however extra generally entails tax and tariffs on worldwide imports. This itself can stretch from clear taxation of sure nations’ merchandise to one thing a bit of extra discreet, creating tariffs for any merchandise that simply so occur to fall out of a extremely slim definition that appears vaguely equivalent to some form of nationwide product.
Right here’s an instance: Japan’s Shochu, while now mounting a comeback, had suffered many years of decline that was painful to observe. This affected your entire economic system of one in every of Japan’s largest islands, Kyushu (in actual fact, the third largest of Japan’s 5 most important islands) given that the majority Shochu makers have been concentrated within the area. Would you be shocked, then, that the World Commerce Organisation (WTO) discovered that Japan had taxed Shochu far more favourably in comparison with international spirits, having labeled them as dissimilar to what would fall beneath “distilled spirits?”
Let’s check out one other instance: the whisky scene in Korea, or relatively the shortage thereof. Considerably two faces of the identical coin, Korea has a extremely beneficial tax regime for native Korean specialty spirits (even when the substances are imported), which sounds completely cheap… that’s, till you contemplate Three Societies Distillery’s endeavour to create a localized Korean born and bred whisky. Regardless of the distillery being Korean, with whisky manufacturing in Korea and step by step transferring in direction of absolutely utilizing Korean substances (barley, oak, yeast, the works), the distillery’s produce is taxed much more harshly, just because whisky is taken into account a “western alcohol.” Distillery founder Bryan Do highlights this as a key motive why Korea lacks a whisky scene.
As you possibly can see, what we’re capable of devour isn’t purely a perform of style; relatively, the invisible arms of economics and commerce coverage have an enormous half to play in what’s in your glass.
Now let’s get to making an attempt Three Societies’ new Ki-One Unicorn which has undergone 21 months of ageing “by means of the 4 seasons of the peninsula” in virgin oak, bottled at 56.6% ABV.
Three Societies Distillery Ki One Unicorn Version Korean Single Malt – Overview
Virgin American oak casks. 21 months outdated. Retails for about US$100 in South Korea.
Color: Maple syrup gold.
On the nostril: Deep but mellowed; melted brown sugar with vanilla pods, honeyed, with gentle touches of cinnamon. It opens up gently with nice pacing. Because it airs, extra stone fruits, berries, and fruit jam present up: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries. Shiny, but extra carefully resembling cooked fruit.
Within the mouth: Nice heat is the primary noticeable side, increase with a great weight and a texture much like maltose sweet. Notes of honey, caramel and baking spices come by means of with the identical jammyness in line with its aromas: shiny stone fruits within the type of jam and cooked fruit, besides right here there are added dimensions of candy grapes and ripened peaches that come throughout as an ester-heavy fruit bomb. Beneath this lush layer of fruit jam, there’s a maltiness of flaked oats.
The feel doesn’t let up within the end! It continues to take care of its heft and physique, not even remotely breaking up. Because it recedes, the fruit jam continues, whereas the peaches and grapes start to fade, changed by a deep oaky be aware with a lightweight acidity that retains it crisp.
Conclusions
This was a wonderfully crafted whisky; intense, wealthy, fruity and rounded, with nice textures, heft, size and warmth. In reality, it’s so rounded that you simply wouldn’t have guessed that it’s only 21 months outdated. Nowhere are the off notes, hotness, or thinness indicative of youth to be discovered. That stated, the depth might nonetheless use some mellowing, which makes me excited to strive the final of the inaugural trio, the Eagle.
Rating: 7/10
Making an allowance for Malt’s official scoring metrics, now we have to contemplate that for its age and small quantity this can be a expensive expression, particularly after factoring in Korean manufacturing prices. But it isn’t day-after-day that I get to be impressed by a “New World” single malt. At the least this hasn’t gotten outdated for me but.
