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

Diageo Korea's White Horse whisky / Courtesy of Diageo Korea

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 drinkers. In 2024, it ranked No. 1 in Scotch whisky sales in the country, the company said.

Diageo Korea said the whisky’s appeal lies in how its smoky profile interacts with sparkling water, creating a cleaner and more refreshing taste than typical highballs. The flavor also pairs well with food, cutting through richness and acting as a palate cleanser, a trait that has made it popular in traditional Japanese izakayas.

The blend includes malt whiskies from distilleries such as Talisker Distillery and Cragganmore Distillery, contributing to a layered profile that combines oak, vanilla, sea salt, caramel and chocolate notes.

Jung Dong-hyuk, a marketing executive at Diageo Korea, said the product’s track record in Japan points to its potential in Korea.

“White Horse is a Scotch whisky with a distinctive smoky character built on Lagavulin,” Jung said. “Its refreshing and crisp profile stands out in highballs, and we expect it to offer a new whisky experience for consumers in Korea.”

The product will be released in 750-milliliter bottles with an alcohol content of 40 percent and will be available at major convenience store chains, including GS25, CU and 7-Eleven, starting in the first week of April.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.