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Why New World Whisky

What Makes New World Whisky Special

Whiskies from the unlikeliest of places are now among the most exciting – and increasingly acclaimed – in the world.
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Passion, Craft & Quality

Distilleries across the globe are on the increase – although often smaller artisan operations (many are still under 10 years old), they already have phenomenal skills. Backed by highly driven owners and master distillers with a love of the local surroundings and a wide breadth of industry experience, they are keen to innovate, push the boundaries and produce superior products.

Many strive for a 'farm to bottle' approach, using local barley and water sources to bring terroir to the fore. Some even aim to produce everything in house - owning their own barley fields, using their own estate water sources, even bottling on site, to ensure a premium end result. Due to their boutique nature and ability to produce such unique and limited run releases, new expressions often sell out prior to release.

Dynamic & Original Production Methods

Looking further afield also allows a variety of dynamic and original production methods and cask types to come into play. We’ve discovered expressions mellowed with arctic ice melt water, smoked with sheep dung (used in a similar way to peat as a fuel during the malting process), matured in the extreme heat of the Dead Sea, and even rested ​in 19th Century barrels.

Ultimately, these approaches result in a creative and innovative range of exceptional single malts - often with a local twist - that offer something truly unique to the market. Whichever whisky you choose, by investing at an early stage the growth potential increases.

What Is the Impact of Varied Global Climates on Maturation

Climate has a huge impact. In countries like India, the temperature drastically increases the speed of maturation, so the Angels' Share can be as high as 10% per year. The result? A 5 year old Indian single malt can have the same depth as a 20 year old Scotch.

On the flip side, extreme cold can also be used to a distillery's advantage. Storing casks at -4°C in Alpine ice caves at 3,454m above sea level leads to a unique and naturally developed product with a wide range of aromas and warm dark colouring that just oozes strength.

We’re happy to discuss how climate might impact your choice of distillery in more detail, but no matter how hot or cold a location you choose, your cask will be closely monitored to ensure the optimum development of the spirit within.

Casks with a Background

Unlike Scotch which is purely aged in American and European Oak casks, there are a wealth of options for new world whisky maturation. From a wider variety of previous use (e.g. pomegranate wine, mead, and 150-year-old beer barrels), alternative wood types such as Birch and Russian Oak, through to ‘Frankencasks’ using a mixture of staves from different sources - casks play the most significant role in the colour and flavour of the final product.

We've built close relationships with key cooperages who we're proud to have added to our list of Official Partners, you can find out more about them and what they can offer our cask owners here.

How Do I Know New World Whisky Is a Good Choice?

Demand for our pioneering, artisan distilleries and their contemporary categories of whisky is accelerating fast and their whiskies are already commanding a superior price point (see more in our individual distillery pages for current details). With the distilleries often focused on small-batch offerings, bottlings frequently sell out prior to release, adding to their desirability, and in addition to this, awareness of the new world whisky market is building rapidly.

Even more importantly, these craft expressions made with their first-rate local and natural ingredients are already making a name as the future whisky classics – and are increasingly being enjoyed by a discerning and widening audience.

Our New World Distillery Partners

Each of our distilleries are personally visited* and vetted by us prior to becoming part of our offering.

We’re proud to share their stories and the drive behind each one with you in our Partner Distillery pages along with all the key facts, figures and features that make them so unique. You may even be able to spot one of our team members at their locations in the photos!

*In a small number of cases due to Covid-19 restrictions on travel some distillery visits have been postponed and are being taken by extensive personal video tour until we can visit the site in person.

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