The First South Korean Single Malt, or, An Eagle, a Unicorn, and a Tiger Walk Into a Bar

Ki One (formerly known as Three Societies) was founded in 2020 with a simple goal: be the first Korean single malt distillery and set a benchmark for what Korean single malt could be. Given the reaction to their releases, one can only say well done. They are the first Korean single malt on the market, with three core expressions (the Eagle, Unicorn, and Tiger) and special releases exploring different parts of their components or playing with finishes.

What could Korean single malt be? Nestled on the north face of the mountains 30 minutes from Seoul, this distillery gets no direct sunlight in the winter and can swing between -4C and 36C throughout the year. Bryan came from a brewing background, Andrew Shand from a distilling family. Together, they've set a Korean "profile" that hearkens back to their heritage while highlighting something synonymous with Korea: spice.

Make no mistake: whether at 6 months or 5 years, this is a spice-forward single malt, evoking kimchi and gochujang pepper alongside the classic single malt by which they were inspired.

As the first, they had to chart a path, and we get into an unusually detailed description of how taxation and regulation can lag behind industry growth and, if unchanged, hamper it. This was Bryan's first longform English interview for Ki One - I hope you enjoy!

Thank you to Bryan for entering the whiskey ring!

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If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so at patreon.com/whiskeyinmyweddingring

The Bottle Share Club - the $25/month Patreon level - is SOLD OUT! You can still support the podcast for as little as $1/month, and $5/month patrons will have first dibs if a $25/month member retires.

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Ki One Distillery

• Ki One Distillery Website
• Ki One Distillery on Instagram
• Ki One Distillery on Facebook

Heritage, Grain, and Grit: Matt McKay Revives the London Distillery Company

The London Distillery Company - TLDC - has, TLDR, had a rather rough two centuries. Two failed ventures, one in the early 1800s and one in the 2010s, the last ending in 2020 with a few dozen casks remaining, sitting in a warehouse for several years unloved.

Enter Matt McKay, a Whiskey Ring Podcast guest way back in Episode 70. Having recently departed Bimber and Dunphail Distilleries, Matt was looking for a project, something that would expand his already extensive whisky knowledge and give him a new challenge in the production space where he felt most at home. Those few dozen casks held some rye, a lot of single malt, and, more than anything, opportunities.

In his "distillery without walls," Matt is slowly and methodically rebuilding TLDC into a respectable company known for its own product (which remains quite limited but also nicely aged) and for blending. The Renascence was a release of their own stock, while the just-released Golden Union blends and celebrates English whisky from multiple distilleries into a harmonious expression.

Matt is unabashedly nerdy (seriously, listen to our previous episode, we got deep in the weeds), and he loves what he does. I can't wait to taste these releases and see what he does. Let's check back in a few years when they're farther down the runway....

Thank you to Matt for entering the whiskey ring!

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If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so at patreon.com/whiskeyinmyweddingring

The Bottle Share Club - the $25/month Patreon level - is SOLD OUT! You can still support the podcast for as little as $1/month, and $5/month patrons will have first dibs if a $25/month member retires.

If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram and Facebook.

The London Distillery Company

• • The London Distillery Company Website
  • The London Distillery Company on Instagram
  • The London Distillery Company on Facebook

La Maison du Whisky, Version Française, and Everything About French Whisky

I love "visiting" new countries through the podcast. Granted, France we had technically touched before through Brenne, but I'd heard that there was so much more to learn about the French culture of drinking and spirit production - so who better to talk to than Marion Attardi and Matthieu Acar, of La Maison & Velier and La Maison du Whisky, respectively.

Marion and Matthieu are subject matter giants in whiskies generally, but both bring a special expertise to French whisky. While long a top market for Scotch single malt (drinking more per capita than any other nation), France has only recently begun distilling its own whiskies and single malts (~1983 is a general starting point). Yet despite starting domestic production around the same time as the earliest American craft distillers, French producers have remained mostly small and independent. Only the oldest and largest - Armorik, for example) have made it to the US market, and many haven't made it outside of France or the EU at most.

So, why do an episode about French whisky if you can't taste much of it? Because soon enough you'll be able to - and I guarantee you're going to love it. Whether it's a distillery that grew out of a brewery, one doing their own take on peat, one using local wine casks from Bordeaux or calvados from Normandy, the variety is astounding and delicious.

Three Version Française expressions are available in the US, with more on the way. You can also shop through La Maison du Whisky, The Whisky Exchange, and many other international retailers to find gems from all over France.

This was just the opening conversation - there will be many more! Especially if Matthieu's compendium on the first 40 years of French whisky gets an English translation...

Thank you to Marion and Matthieu for entering the Whiskey Ring!

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If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so at patreon.com/whiskeyinmyweddingring

The Bottle Share Club - the $25/month Patreon level - is SOLD OUT! You can still support the podcast for as little as $1/month, and $5/month patrons will have first dibs if a $25/month member retires.

If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram and Facebook.

Version Française & La Maison du Whisky

• Version Française Website
• Version Française on Instagram
• La Maison du Whisky Website