Ep. 195: Ki One Distillery with Founder Bryan Do

2025-07-16

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 ...

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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Ki One Distillery