X.Premium

Hwayo, whose name means 'Fire and Noble Object,' was founded in 2003 by two master blenders determined to modernize Korea's 700-year-old soju tradition. X.Premium is their flagship single grain whisky, made entirely from rice without additives — a distinctive position in global whisky. This is not an attempt to replicate Scotch, but a deliberate choice to centre rice as grain.

Matured on American oak in Yeoju near Seoul, X.Premium arrives at 41% ABV as a characterful, delicate expression. The rice base creates a specific signature: where wheat whisky tends toward malty warmth, rice whisky feels finer, almost mineral.

On the nose, fruity notes emerge — banana, dried dates, citrus peel — supported by honey and vanilla. The palate is creamy, with subtle oak and a lightly spiced finish. This is whisky for those curious about how other cultures use grain and time to craft something noble.