Pōkeno Distillery Origin New Zealand Single Malt Whisky
Pōkeno Distillery Origin New Zealand Single Malt Whisky Bottle. Image courtesy of pokenowhisky.com.
New Zealand. In my head, it’s a land of majesty.
My mind goes to the Lord of the Rings films, of sharp-peaked mountains looming over wide plains. My stomach goes to the world-class lamb. My soul feels a tugging, like it’s a place you go to to never return - but in the best possible way.
New Zealand isn’t one land, of course, it’s two: two islands, the North Island and the South Island. For you Lord of the Rings fans, Hobbiton was built on the North Island. Everything else was filmed in the south. The islands themselves span 1,000 miles top to bottom, and each island is a landscape all its own.
The rugged landscapes of the South Island give way to the subtropical of the North Island, where Pōkeno is not-so-quietly putting out some of the best new whisky I’ve tried yet this year. Hot and humid, Pōkeno - the site and the distillery - means rapid aging, even when processes are done “traditionally.”
Just like in parts of India (I’m thinking of Goa, in particular), high humidity means you tend to lose more alcohol than water. Couple that with higher temperatures and you’ve got a recipe for a 3-year-old single malt that can match up to something double or triple its age. Different environments require different methods, though, and Pōkeno isn’t shying away from that.
Sitting in a valley that dips just below sea level, Matt Johns and Pōkeno Distillery aren’t making Scotch in New Zealand. They are making Kiwi Whisky, a style all its own that, while undoubtedly informed by distilling in the United Kingdom, is more firmly in the “New World” of whisky-making. Johns has his own history in the Scotch world, but knew from the beginning that he wanted to be a New Zealand distillery first and foremost.
That means all New Zealand barley, a fresh water source right under the distillery filtered through volcanic rock, following the do-it-yourself Australian model. Their stills are short with lots of reflux capacity, leading to a full-bodied spirit that’s sweet and drinks beyond its age.
It’s tropical and, in many ways, tastes like you’d think a whisky from New Zealand would taste. And that’s a good thing. The spirit’s inherent sweetness is bolstered by the ex-bourbon (well, ex-Jack Daniel’s) casks, with a velvety pepper and oak bite that grows slowly and stays in the background. Guava, tropical melon, stewed white grapes and sangria all come to mind. It’s deliciously complex.
I’m curious to see where this goes in another year or two. Given their climate, Pōkeno will never be putting out 15-year-old whisky, but that won’t stop it from seeing it through to four, five, or six years if possible.
Besides - it’s New Zealand. IIt might take that long just to get the bottles over here!
Thank you to Pōkeno Distillery and ImpEx Beverages for providing this sample free of editorial constraint.
Pōkeno Distillery Origin New Zealand Single Malt Whisky: Specs
Classification: New Zealand Single Malt Whisky
Origin: Pōkeno Distillery
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Proof: 86 (43% ABV)
Age: 2+ Years Old
Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand (North Island)
Pōkeno Distillery Origin New Zealand Single Malt Whisky Price: $99.99
Pōkeno Distillery Origin New Zealand Single Malt Whisky: Tasting Notes
Eye: Quite pale. Thin rims, falling legs.
Nose: Sweet and syrupy, tropical fruits being stewed. White grapes and honeydew melon. Bit of oak, but not woody. Sauternes and barley. No hint of grain or youth, smells mature and finished (as in done, not secondarily aged).
Palate: Dry white sangria, more piquant but also more robust and complex. White grapes rehydrated with wine and a mild bourbon cask influence. Some unusual flavor towards the end I can’t quite make out that still fits within the tropical theme. Mouthfeel is creamy, coconut pudding and velveteen pepper. Oak growing on the back end, slowly. Tropical bourbon, if that could be a thing.
Finish: Filling and long, guava custard in a vacation spot overlooking the beach. Slightly acidic, the dry but fortified and sweet wine filling the whole palate.
Overall: Sweeter than the average whisky, but in a tropical and unusual way that invites more sips. Transports me to a tropical vacation.
Final Rating: 7.2
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary
8 | Excellent | Exceptional
7 | Great | Well above average
6 | Very Good | Better than average
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary
4 | Has promise but needs work
1-3 | Let’s have a conversation
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