Diageo bets on highball trend with Korea launch of White Horse whisky

A cult-favorite Scotch whisky, long the smoky backbone of Japan’s ubiquitous highball culture, is now making a calculated push into Korea’s crowded convenience store aisles. Diageo Korea said Monday it will launch White Horse, a blended Scotch whisky, in the Korean market starting in April. The move is a wager that the country’s burgeoning thirst for highballs — a trend that has already reshaped the nightlife scene — will continue to change how a younger generation of Koreans consumes spirits. The whisky, built around a spirit from the Lagavulin Distillery, is known for its pronounced peaty, smoky character — a profile that stands out when mixed with carbonated water, the company said. First developed in 1861 by the Mackie family, owners of Lagavulin at the time, White Horse was designed to make the distillery’s distinctive flavor more accessible through a blended format. Despite being a blend, it retains a bold smokiness and a long finish, according to the company. The brand has gained particular traction in Japan, where it has built a strong following among whisky drinkerWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times