The Far Eastern whisky market is traditionally dominated by the Japanese, but the new kid on the block is South Korea, with the country’s first single malt soon to be made available across the globe.

Ki One Tiger Edition has been described as a whisky that possesses “local characteristics that Koreans can be proud of”, the first batch of 1,500 bottles exported to Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the US. The next step later in the month for the single malt that is South Korean in every sense, apart from the American oak casks in which it is aged, is the European market which will include the drink’s spiritual home of Scotland.

Produced by the Three Societies Distillery located in Namyangju region, a 40-minute drive from the capital Seoul, it was founded by Korean-American Bryan Do, who was keen to find a new venture after selling his craft beer operation to beer conglomerate AB-InBev.

He was eager to see his home country follow in the footsteps of Japan and Taiwan whisky-makers and produce its own single malt, and three years later he has done just that. Ki One is described as possessing notes of banana and peach and a long, spicy end, with its tasting notes describing an “oakiness, with vibes of a bowl of summer fruit salad”.

“We chose Ki One as our whisky name because it has two meaningful definitions in Korean: beginning and hope,” said Do, who expects to follow the ‘Tiger’ with the ‘Unicorn’ and ‘Eagle’ bottles that will showcase the evolution of the spirit. “These two themes perfectly encapsulate our spirit as we are at the beginning of the single malt whisky journey from Korea to the world.”

Ki One Tiger Edition, 56.2% ABV, retails in South Korea at a price of $80USD (approx. €75/£66).