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Distiller Beth Scott rolls a cask of Moonlight Creek at the Reefton Distilling Co.
A whisky society in Edinburgh has struck a deal with a West Coast distillery to onsell it’s silky drop to the masses.
Reefton Distilling Co. signed an initial three-year contract with Scotland’s Scotch Malt Whisky Society which will bring the flavours of Aotearoa’s whisky to thousands across the world.
The 40-year-old society was a membership organisation that bottles and sells single cask, single malt whisky.
It purchases individual casks from more than 150 malt whisky distilleries in Scotland and across the world, bottles them, and then retails directly to its 40,000 members globally.
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The agreement will see the society buy the distillery’s New-Make Spirit each year, which will mainly be matured in casks in Scotland, with some maturing in Reefton to allow a comparison of how the spirit develops at each location.
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Reefton Distilling Co. chief executive Patsy Bass and Scotch Malt Whisky Society Spirits director Kai Ivalo are excited about the future of their whisky partnership.
Reefton Distilling Co. chief executive Patsy Bass was brimming with pride after learning that the society deemed New-Make Spirit worthy of inclusion as one of the society’s hand-picked whiskies.
“To be selected as the first New Zealand distillery to supply New-Make Spirit to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society is a huge honour and achievement for a New Zealand distillery,” she said.
“It highlights the quality of the New-Make Spirit we are crafting and exporting to the world, and we look forward to developing a long-term, successful relationship with the society and its members around the world.”
Reefton Distilling Co. was known for its international award-winning Little Biddy Gin, Wild Rain Vodka and Reefton Distilling Co. Flavour Gallery Gin Series, and Liqueurs.
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Reefton Distilling Co. distillery and copper stills will be hard at work filling the society’s orders.
This range of hand-crafted spirits had seen the distillery take home 67 awards, including 12 Gold and Double Gold awards, at national and international spirits competitions.
Scotch Malt Whisky Society Spirits director Kai Ivalo said the society was impressed by the distillery’s whisky.
“We were impressed by the quality of the Reefton spirit which will offer Members of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society another exciting single cask malt whisky full flavour discovery to look forward to in years to come.”
Andrew Nairn, a distillery optimisation specialist, had been consulting to Reefton Distilling Co. since September 2022, arriving in Reefton in January 2023 to support their optimisation and expansion plans.
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Distillery optimisation specialist Andrew Nairn has been working with Reefton Distilling Co.
Nairn said it was the perfect time to take Reefton Distilling Co. global.
“With the global market for whisky showing exponential growth, a global supply shortage and unique, high-end products in great demand, Reefton Distilling Co.’s expansion into whisky production is an extremely positive and timely move.”