Ki One Unicorn Single Malt (Südkorea)

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 46% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

KI ONE Unicorn is a smoky, earthy Korean single malt made from peated malt. Its maturation combines new oak casks with bourbon casks. The whisky is bottled at 46% in bottles holding 0.7 litres, without chill filtration or added colouring.

Within the collection, Unicorn represents Scotland, the home of Master Distiller Andrew Shand. The distillery cites Scotland’s misty landscapes and KI ONE Batch 4 Smoked, which received Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, as inspirations. Unicorn translates this connection into a distinctive Korean style.

In 2025, KI ONE Unicorn received the “Best World Wide Whisky” award at the IWSC. It also won Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and Gold at the International Spirits Challenge.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Wet autumn leaves, burning leaves and woodsmoke define the opening aromas.
• Palate: Orange peel and Korean-influenced spices come to the fore on the palate.
• Finish: The finish brings pronounced oak, sweet honey and plum, leaving an earthy aftertaste.

Distillery/Bottler:

KI ONE Whisky Distillery was founded in 2020 in Namyangju, in the South Korean province of Gyeonggi-do, and describes itself as the country’s first single malt distillery. Its team comprises Korean-American founder Jeong-han Do, Scottish Master Distiller Andrew Shand and Korean staff. In Korean, the name KI ONE broadly conveys the ideas of beginning and hope, referring to the start of an independent Korean whisky tradition.

For mashing, fermentation and subsequent dilution, the distillery uses groundwater from its own well beneath its site at Baekbongsan. Fermentation in stainless-steel tanks lasts between 100 and 150 hours, followed by double distillation in copper stills; during the second distillation, only 10 to 15% is selected as the heart cut. Warehouse temperatures range from −25°C in winter to over 35°C in summer, causing the whisky to interact intensively with the cask wood during maturation. KI ONE Unicorn is an official bottling from this distillery.

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