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( 02-6412-0125~8)
About the Publication
Magazine B is an ad-free monthly publication that dedicates each issue to one well-balanced brand unearthed from around the globe. The magazine introduces the brands hidden stories, as well as its sensibility and culture, and is an easy but also serious read for anyone with an interest in brands.
About the Issue
Welcome to the 96th issue of B.
Back in 2018, when B revisited Seoul, the capital city of Korea, to put out a second edition, we talked about what city would be the best for the city issue besides Seoul. Many of our editors—including me—thought of Busan, the second largest city in Korea, and Jejudo Island for its breathtaking natural landscapes. Five years later, we wound up doing an issue that features Busan. Of course, we were drawn to Jejudo Island because it embodies the idea of rest and relaxation, but truthfully, we were more curious about Busans many faces beyond the beaches and tourism. I myself visit the coastal city every year and always feel like moving there whenever I go, so it is obvious that the port city 400 km south of Seoul has some kind of magnetic allure.
Each time I arrive at Busan Station and taxi to Haeundae to get settled in—Ive done this so many times I dont dare to even try to count—I find myself mesmerized by the landscape of the piers as I look out the car window. Not until rows of shipping containersand towering cranes catch my eyes do I feel like, Ah! Finally, Im in Busan. It feels like passing through immigration. Maybe because of the unique layout of port cities, I have always assumed that Busan was bigger than Seoul. Maybe it is the impression that you can only get from the second- or the third-largest cities. Apparently, it is the norm that the nations largest city—the capital city in an administrative and economic sense—naturally chases ideas like global standards and cosmopolitanism. Despite the never-ending changes inarchitecture, culture, and commercial districts that seem to pop up overnight, capital cities always feel rather mediocre when all things are said and done. That might explain why I have recently heard globe-trotters grumbling that there is nothing special out there. Everything is already in Seoul.
But Busan has staved off this rather imminent phenomenon of standardization. Of course, the city boasts a good number of flagship stores by globalbrands, inventive and fancy restaurants, and uniform- like styles that hipsters wear, but these elements
do not shape the visitors impression of the city. Rather, Busans cultural elements—embedded in the clothing, food, and architecture—forge a distinctive locality in its raw state, emerging through the cracks between the well-developed infrastructure that is essential for a big city to survive. The essence of Busan that B captured for this issue also centers on the people, the products, and the companies that add contemporary twists to local tradition. From Momos Coffees Jooyeon Jeon, who triumphantly sprang up from the local specialty coffee scene and on to the global stage; and Balansa, a fashion brand whose contemporary chicness is no less superb than Seoul- born rivals; to Gentz Bakery, which strives to retaina sense of Koreanness. All these players generated cultlike followings locally and received offers to expand to Seoul. (Usually, it happens the other way around.) In a city where not even one of Koreas top 100 companies has its headquarters, it is a feat thatlocally grown creativity translates to business acumen, resulting in phenomenal success.
The potential of Busan, I opine, lies with innovative small business owners, though they are wildly outnumbered by their counterparts in Seoul. Indeed, the Busanites B met say that the citys potential isin the hands of the people who grew up in Busan,far from Seoul and close to the door to the outside world. Busan has constantly grappled with internal and external forces due to its geographical position and historical events, like outsiders coming and going, refugees from the Korean War rushing in. Even still, it seems that Busan has the most fertile soil to cultivate new contemporary ideas. This may be why I as a land dweller, born and raised in Seoul, always envy people who live near water—and where they come together, in Busan.
Eunsung Park
Editor in Chief
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Table of contents
02 INTRO
08 EDITOR'S LETTER
12KEYWORDS
The Balvenies philosophy as portrayed in media coverage
16SPEYSIDE
The region that The Balvenie calls home
22THE BALVENIE DISTILLERY
The epicenter where the Scottish whisky brands nearly 130-year history began
26FROM CRAFT TO BALVENIE
The Balvenies craftspeople who are committed to the brands legacy of crafting top-quality whisky
48INTERVIEW: DAVID C. STEWART & KELSEY MCKECHNIE
The Balvenie malt masters, who are responsible for quality and taste control
54CHARACTERISTICS
The Balvenies whisky lineup that expresses a storied experience and immense know-how along with a singular design language
62OPINION: STEPH MURRAY
Steph Murry, general manager at The Dowans Hotel, talks about the local whisky community in Speyside
68SPEYSIDES MANNER
Bar culture in Speyside, the birthplace of single malts
76COEXIST IN MARKET
Diversity in the Scotch whisky market that spawns from micro-distinction during whisky making
84BAR SPIRITS
Bar scenes in Seoul, Saitama, London, and New York that present whisky cocktails in their own distinctive ways
96MANUALS
The basics of whisky
100 OPINION: HAEIN JUNG
Korean actor Haein Jung talks about charms of whisky and The Balvenie
106MY TASTE PAIRING
Whisky parings that reflect the taste of the drinker—from scents to artworks
116JUST MY SPIRIT
Diverse manifestations of whisky subcultures, such as collecting, sharing, and blending
120THE ELEMENTS
The five basic factors for whisky making
130BRAND STORY
The growth story of The Balvenie, which has pioneered in the market with its traditional batch production process and experimental spirit
136INTERVIEW: ALICE MCSHERRY, GEMMA PORTER
The Balvenies global marketing manager Alice Mcsherry and global brand ambassador Gemma Porter talk about the brands internal and external culture
140SHIFT IN GENERATIONS
Three next-generation employees expected to make history for The Balvenie
144ART OF CRAFT
The Balvenies art projects that distill the brands artisanal spirit
148DIGEST
Figures that demonstrate the prominence of The Balvenie and its parent company William Grant & Sons in the Scotch whisky industry
151OUTRO
[ó] ŰB () Magazine B, Ű (2023 09) 翡 Ͽ, ۱ǹ ȣ , , մϴ.