Pōkeno First Fill Casks
The ‘World’s Best’-winning Kiwi distillery is back with a one-off marriage of its richest first-fill casks, exclusively for Club Members. Our last Pōkeno sold out instantly, so be quick to Double Up so you don't miss out.
New ZealandColour Burnt umber
Nose Dark butterscotch smothers syrupy stewed plum, toasted cinnamon and dark cherry, laced with toffee apple and marmalade.
Palate Deep and layered palate of spiced brioche French toast and tiramisu, with a long finish of velvety cherry chocolate and macerated raisin.
Overview
The last Pōkeno at the Club was an instant sell-out and followed a flurry of medals at the distillery, including Best In Class and World’s Best NZ Single Malt at San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Now we're bringing you a new exclusive Pōkeno; a 1-of-1 batch made to be the best winter warmer on your whisky shelf. And it’s coming as your July Whisky of the Month.
Created with Pōkeno's richest casks and bottled at a lush 48.2% ABV, the flavour will thaw your cold winter bones: layers of dark butterscotch, spiced brioche French toast, toasted cinnamon, dark cherry and syrupy stewed plum.
Steered by Matt Johns' 30+ years of Highland Scotch experience, we've never seen a craft distillery so small deliver a Whisky Club exclusive this big – and it's coming to you for just $128.
If you were lucky enough to get our last Pokeno exclusive, the Amontillado Single Cask which sold out nearly instantly, you’ll be pleased to know that First Fill fills the big winter boots set from its predecessor; and if you haven’t tried them yet, well, you’re in for a treat. This is a one-off marriage of Pōkeno's richest first-fill casks – ex-Sherries, ex-Bourbon and toasted, caramelised virgin oak – expertly bottled with no chill filtration or added colour for a beautifully balanced, weighty winter dram.
Whisky Clubbers, this exclusive is none other than your next Whisky of the Month, going live on Friday 4 July.
Not yet a Member of the Club? Join FREE today to have a bottle allocated to you.
THE SPECS
Price: $128.00
Age: No Age Statement
ABV: 48.2%
Maturation: Spanish PX, Spanish Moscatel, new American oak, American oak ex-Bourbon
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Pōkeno Whisky Company's History
Pōkeno Whisky Company is the passion project of Matt and Céline Johns, who founded the distillery in 2017 with a dream of putting Aotearoa New Zealand on the whisky region map and producing some of the world's best single malt. This dream has become reality; it could be said that New Zealand Whisky is becoming the new Tasmanian Whisky.
Originally from the UK, Matt's whisky career kicked off in 1999 and saw him working at a couple of Club-favourite distilleries; Tullibardine and Glenmorangie. He brought his experience to The Land of the Long White Cloud and found the perfect location for the distillery, just south of Auckland in the small town of Pōkeno. As craft distillers, Matt and the Pōkeno crew are able to focus on quality over quantity, on doing things their way, not the easy way.
Set in a warm yet often misty valley, under volcanic hills that are home to the springs from which they (as well as Pure NZ Water, which is right across the road) get their water, Pōkeno is the perfect location for a distillery.
Laureate barley is sourced from three family-owned farms in the South Island's Canterbury region. The fertile soils of these farms produce premium barley, and the Pōkeno team work closely with the farmers to ensure its ongoing quality.
Head Distiller Rohan McGowan doesn't rush anything, taking his time with a long fermentation time of 72 to 80 hours to extract everything he can from the barley, and then double distils it incredibly slowly, maximising copper contact through the process to refine the profile and ensure that only the purest spirit is taken for maturation.
The result? A front-ended, clean spirit with massive amounts of tropical fruits, and a viscous malty biscuit base.
The distillery itself is state-of-the-art, featuring four 3,000L stainless steel fermenters, a Scottish-made 4,000L wash still and 3,800L spirit still with an upwards-tilted swan neck, to help create a light and fruity whisky. Pōkeno is the largest whisky distillery in New Zealand, but even with its 100,000L per annum capacity only produces about a week's output from a typical Scottish distillery.
The spirit is laid up in ex-Bourbon casks from Jack Daniels, as well as a variety of Sherry and New Zealand red wine casks. The distillery also has the luxury of an in-house cooperage.
All of this allows Pōkeno to create single malt whisky with exceptional body and flavour; whisky that captures the pure spirit of New Zealand.
Distillery Facts
Region: North Island
Origin: 22 Gateway Park Drive, Pōkeno 2402, New Zealand
Founded: 2017
Water Source: Pure spring water from the surrounding volcanic hills
Washbacks: 4, Stainless Steel
Stills: 2 (1 wash, 1 spirit)
Capacity: 100,000 litres per annum
Ready to enjoy a world-class whisky collection?
Your free Club Membership gives access to exclusive single malt from Scotland, Australia and the world’s best distilleries. Enjoy the unrivalled buying power of Australia's biggest whisky club.