Introduction
I came across this whisky while browsing a lineup of Asian craft spirits and couldn’t help but be curious. The Craftbros Jegi Series Double Malt is a collaboration between Korea’s Craftbros Brewery and Sweden’s High Coast Distillery—a combination I hadn’t seen before in whisky. With the added dimension of IPA influence from Craftbros’ Hwasimjujo, I was intrigued by how the younger malt and beer-driven elements would come together.
Nose
On the nose, the IPA character comes through immediately. There’s a bright, almost sharp citrus edge – reminiscent of grapefruit rind and dried orange peel. It’s crisp and forward, with a bitter hop-like quality that sits lightly above the malt. Underneath, I picked up unripe stone fruits—green apple and underripe pear—followed by a slight herbal note, somewhat like fresh basil or mint. The youthful alcohol is noticeable but not overpowering.
Palate
The palate started light but brisk, with some bitterness upfront—closer to a dry IPA than a mature whisky. It has a lean, grainy texture with toasted cereal notes and a gentle sweetness toward the middle. That grapefruit note from the nose makes another appearance, joined by lemon zest and pine needles. It lacks the oiliness or depth you’d find in longer-aged malts, but I appreciated how direct and unpolished it felt. There’s a yeasty, ale-like quality in the background that reminded me of fresh, unfiltered beer.
Finish
The finish is short to medium, and here the youthfulness of the spirit shows the most. There’s a lingering bitterness, likely thanks to the IPA influence, with a drying sensation on the tongue. It fades out with light oak, a touch of spice—white pepper, maybe—and a return of green maltiness. Simple, but consistent with the rest of the experience.
Price and Value
This bottle sits in what I’d call an experimental price range—not quite premium, but definitely craft-focused and niche. Given the limited release and the clear novelty of its production, I wasn’t expecting it to match more established malts in terms of depth. But I think the value lies in its uniqueness. If you're looking for something offbeat and modern, it's a fair ask. If you're after aged complexity, maybe not.
Background
What makes this bottle stand out is its origin story. The whisky consists of double malts from Sweden's High Coast Distillery, known for clean, precise profiles, blended with young Korean whisky aged by Craftbros, a craft brewery better known for its beers. The whisky is finished in casks previously used for their signature IPA, 'Hwasimjujo'. It’s part of the ‘Jegi’ Series—a word that refers to traditional Korean craftsmanship.
The spirit is intentionally youthful; they refer to it as 'newborn', which also signals that this isn’t aiming for traditional whisky drinkers alone but perhaps beer enthusiasts curious about what happens when malts and hops merge.
Final Notes
Would I buy this bottle again? Probably not for regular sipping, but I’d definitely bring it to a tasting session or share it with friends who like both whisky and craft beer. That crossover might be the sweet spot for this release.
If you’re new to whisky, is this a good starting point? It’s unusual, so maybe not ideal if you're looking for a classic Scotch profile. But if you like bold beers and want to try something funkier than average, this could be appealing.
It seems best suited to casual or social settings—early evening pours where there’s chatter around the table. It doesn’t demand full focus but sparks conversation.
Compared to other whiskies from Sweden or Korea, it stands apart. High Coast’s other releases tend to be more refined, and Korea’s whisky scene is still emerging, so this feels like a one-off experiment—refreshing for its honesty, even if not built for complexity.