Ki One launches world’s 1st red pepper cask-matured whisky

Korean single malt whisky distillery Ki One on Tuesday launched its limited-edition, red pepper cask-matured whisky, the first of its kind in the world, opening up new possibilities for the single malt whisky market.

“Andrew brought this wild idea to throw in red pepper in a barrel, pour hot water inside the barrel and infuse it for about two months,” Ki One CEO Bryan Do told reporters at the launch ceremony in Seoul, referring to Andrew Shand, Ki One’s master distiller.

“We took out the red pepper and the water and poured whisky into the barrel, which itself seasons the cask, to make it a red pepper cask. That’s how we came up with today’s whisky.”

With 57.5 proof, Ki One's Red Pepper Cask Whisky offers a unique flavour and fragrance with hints of red pepper, vanilla and ripe fruit, and finishes with a rich, spicy flavor, according to the company.

“I don’t like whisky with one flavor,” said Shand. “It has to have different flavors. So to do it in the red pepper cask, it was quite challenging, but I think we’ve got a nice balance: different flavors at the beginning and then you get a big kick of pepper at the end.”

Ki One also announced its collaboration with celebrity chef Edward Lee, who gained popularity after his appearance in Culinary Class Wars, and his appointment as the brand’s ambassador.

Lee, already well known in the US dining scene, has about 30 years of experience in the kitchen. He served as the head chef at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, where hundreds of global political leaders and business moguls gathered at the end of October.

“I was just amazed by it,” said Lee, as he recalled the moment when he first had a chance to taste the red pepper cask-aged whisky at Ki One’s distillery in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province.

”I thought it had such a unique flavor and I’ve never tasted anything like it … I think what makes this whisky special is that you can drink it by itself, but also because it’s spicy, it goes really well with spicy food, and obviously a lot of Korean food is spicy.”

Ki One says it plans to produce 1,500 bottles of the red pepper cask whisky, with 200 bound for the US, one of the biggest whisky markets in the world.

The Ki One Red Pepper Cask is now exclusively available on Wine25+, an online platform developed by GS Retail for ordering alcoholic beverages. The price of a bottle is 198,000 won ($134).