"Limited Sale at 3.33 Million KRW" CU, Premium Whiskey Discount Event

Limited Edition of 2,000 Bottles Worldwide · 18 Types Including the World's Top 3 Single Malt Whiskies
Up to 29% Discount at CU Bar in PocketCU Compared to Market Price... Price Range from 200,000 to 3 Million KRW
Liquor Sales Continue to Increase... 99.0% in 2021, 49.8% in 2022 Increase

The model is introducing the premium whiskey discount event at CU (Photo by CU).

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] CU announced that starting from the 5th, it will hold the industry's first premium whiskey discount event on its membership application (app) Pocket CU.

This special event will take place at the CU Bar within Pocket CU. It offers up to 29% discounts on ultra-premium limited edition products and 18 varieties of premium single malt whiskeys.

The highest-priced item in this event is the Tamnavulin 1973, discounted from the regular price of 4.09 million KRW to 3.33 million KRW. This Speyside single malt has been aged for 45 years, allowing one to experience intense aroma and mature flavor. It is produced in limited quantities worldwide, sparking collectors' desire to own it. Other high-priced limited edition products include Glenallachie 30 Year Old, released in a limited run of only 2,000 bottles worldwide by whiskey craftsman Billy Walker, as well as The Dalmore Quarternsense, Glen Cadam 25 Year Old, and Bunnahabhain 25 Year Old.

Popular single malt whiskeys recently are prepared with various aging periods to suit different tastes. The traditional Scottish Tomintoul is offered in 21-year and 25-year variants, and Benriach is also available in two types: 21-year and 25-year. Ballantine’s 18-year and 23-year are also available at reasonable prices.

Glenfiddich, which causes open runs among enthusiasts and is one of the world’s top three single malt Scotch whiskeys, presents the Grand Cru in this event. The Grand Cru is a product where the spirit aged for 23 years in two types of oak barrels is further matured in French Champagne oak barrels, creating a harmonious blend of sweet aroma and luxurious flavor.

CU is introducing a premium whiskey line with differentiated products because recent customer demand for alcoholic beverages has expanded from the traditional focus on beer and soju to a wider variety of liquors, leading to steadily increasing sales of Western liquors. CU’s Western liquor sales rose 10.6% year-on-year in 2019, followed by sharp increases of 59.5% in 2020 and 99.0% in 2021. This year (January to November) also recorded a growth rate of 49.8%.

At Pocket CU’s liquor market, which launched about 400 types of alcoholic beverages last October, Dalmore 15 Year Old, Benriach 12 Year Old, and Wild Turkey Rare Breed priced between 100,000 KRW and 300,000 KRW sold out immediately upon release, and over 30 types of Western liquors were sold out early with over 95% of stock depleted.

CU explained, "To meet customers’ diverse liquor demands, we are providing a reservation purchase service for about 1,200 products at CU Bar within Pocket CU," adding, "CU Bar sales from January to November this year grew 157.8% compared to the previous year."