CU, Exclusive Sale of First Official Whiskey Crafted by 'Whiskey Artisan' Kim Chang-su

K Whiskey Made in Korea's Unique Climate Environment
Maximum Quantity of 150 Bottles Sold... Also a Signing Event

CU, a convenience store operated by BGF Retail, announced on the 21st that it will exclusively release the 'Kim Chang-su Whiskey Gimpo The First Edition 2024' in collaboration with 'whiskey artisan' Kim Chang-su.

Kim Chang-su Whiskey Gimpo is the first official single malt whiskey from the 'Kim Chang-su Whiskey Distillery.' It is a blend of raw spirits aged in nine premium casks, including PX sherry, Oloroso sherry, and Bordeaux wine. The company explained that the combination of fruit, almond pie, and smoked wood aromas creates a deep and rich flavor.

A model is introducing the Kim Chang-su Whiskey Gimpo The First Edition 2024 product at a CU store in Seoul.
[Photo by BGF Retail]

Mr. Kim, who collaborated with CU, is known as the first-generation whiskey artisan in Korea. While researching traditional liquors, he moved to Scotland in 2014 to develop Korean whiskey and visited over 100 distilleries. He also underwent whiskey brewing training in Japan. Since then, his limited edition products have attracted attention as Korean whiskey and have been sold out continuously.

In particular, this product is a domestic whiskey matured for more than three years based on the Korean climate and environment at the Gimpo distillery, which Mr. Kim first opened in 2020. CU expects it to gain popularity among consumers who have been waiting for Mr. Kim’s official product.

CU will sell Kim Chang-su Whiskey Gimpo through offline stores and its own commerce app, Pocket CU. It secured 150 bottles, the largest quantity in the country for a single channel, and will sell 130 bottles offline.

Starting at 9 a.m. on the 23rd, it will be sold at 11 specialized liquor stores nationwide, including CU Olympic Square Branch, Seomyeon Lotte Branch, Osong Yeonhwa Branch, and Jeju Tapdong Square Branch. At the Olympic Square Branch, a signing event by Mr. Kim will also be held for customers who purchase the product.

At CU bar, the liquor pickup service within Pocket CU, 20 bottles will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis from 2 p.m. on the same day. Both online and offline, purchases are limited to one bottle per person, and detailed information can be found on the related page within Pocket CU.

Convenience store CU collaborates with Korea's first-generation whiskey craftsman Kim Chang-soo to present 'Kim Chang-soo Whiskey Gimpo The First Edition 2024'
[Photo by BGF Retail]

CU’s collaboration with Mr. Kim to sell whiskey comes as demand for whiskey at convenience stores has surged recently. In fact, CU’s whiskey sales through September this year increased by 29.1% compared to last year. This is more than twice the growth rate of overall liquor sales (12.1%).

A BGF Retail official said, "Recently, whiskey has established itself as the main category leading the convenience store liquor market, and this time, we are exclusively introducing K-whiskey, which is becoming hot among liquor enthusiasts."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.