Sunyang Oak Soju : oak-aged rice distilled soju?

Sunyang, a Korean liquor company, has released Sunyang Oak Soju, a zero-sugar soju—the current trend—which is blended with oak-barrel-aged undiluted liquid. It initially began sales exclusively at GS25 convenience stores and GS The Fresh, but as it received a good response, it is now being sold in other large supermarkets as well.

You can easily find Sunyang Oak Soju on the soju shelves of supermarkets. It is not in the typical green bottle of Korean soju, but in a golden-brown color that hints at oak. The cap is also brown instead of green, matching the overall tone well. Sunyang’s representative image, the whale, is also printed on the label, so you can tell it is Sunyang soju just by looking at the whale.

Since its main feature is the blending of distilled rice soju aged in oak barrels for a long time, you can see the ingredients on the back label, which states that it contains oak-aged rice distilled soju liquid. For reference, it is said to contain 11% oak-aged rice distilled soju liquid. It is sold in two sizes, 360ml and 640ml, and the prices are 2,300 won(approx. $1.70) and 3,300 won(approx. $2.10), respectively.

Sunyang Oak Soju Review

The alcohol content is 14.9%, which is slightly lower than typical Korean soju, which is usually around 16%. When you first drink it, you can feel a slight oak scent, but the finish is the same as soju. Perhaps because the alcohol content is about 1 degree lower, it feels smooth overall.

Personally, when I drank the first glass, I wondered, “What is this?” The oak scent wasn’t strong, nor did it taste like other soju… I thought, “Is the initial oak scent all there is?” But as I had one or two more glasses, I began to realize the strengths of Sunyang Oak Soju. I think it would be a good choice for people who dislike that initial alcohol smell of soju, and it would pair well with food that is not too greasy.

It would be good to have it with Korean-style sliced raw fish (Hoe) rather than Japanese-style sashimi, or with lightly seasoned meat. As mentioned above, it seems really good for those who dislike the alcohol smell of soju.
However, if you purely like soju, Sunyang Oak Soju might not be a good choice.

It does not seem that overseas sales have officially begun yet. Although there are articles about starting sales in a few countries including Australia, it will likely be difficult to purchase abroad. (Sunyang Oak Soju is listed on Sunyang’s official Korean website, but not yet on the English version.)

If you have a chance to visit Korea, it would be good to try buying it. Since it is not sold in restaurants, you will have to buy it at a GS25 convenience store.