Review: Khee 38 Soju
Soju (Korea’s rendition of Japanese shochu) is typically bottled at 25% abv or less, but Khee 38 hits a much higher proof point — 38% abv, to be exact, commanding much more of your attention than the typical mass market offering.
Also available in a 22 proof variety, Khee 38 is distilled from rice in Seoul and can be used as an alternative to vodka or white rum in any cocktail recipe. We recently received a sample to review. Thoughts follow.
375ml bottles are also available.
Khee 38 Soju Review
Medicinal in the way that most Korean soju is not, Khee 38 offers a complex nose that runs from camphor to hazelnut, basil to Band-Aids. If that sounds wild then, yes, I have to confess that it is, but all of those aromas are quite mild. As with most soju, Khee 38 doesn’t really smell like much of anything most of the time. It’s only when you let it sit in the glass for a spell and breathe deep do you really get the full force of Khee’s oddball presentation.
The palate is more forgiving, and while there’s a certain industrial backbone to the spirit, a core of melon — sweetened with white sugar — takes over without much fuss. The more hospital/industrial notes are more prominent on the finish, which remains sweet but slightly saccharine, melon and soy notes melding fitfully as the spirit fades away.
78 proof.
B / $65
Khee 38 Soju
USD65
